(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – A Presidential Pardon was posthumously awarded Diyunuge Edward Henry Pedris, who was unlawfully executed on 7th July 1915 after being unjustly tried by a Court-Martial appointed by the Governor of Ceylon on 25th June 1915.
The Presidential Pardon was given by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as per the powers vested in him.
In December 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to conduct an investigation on the killing of Edward Henry Pedris 108 years ago by a decision of the colonial Court-martial.
Edward Henry Pedris, who was 27 years at the time, was brought before a Military Court and convicted of treason by the colonial administration who ruled Sri Lanka at the time accusing him of rioting and treason against the Government and on 07.07.1915 he was sentenced to death ignoring all appeals.
The body of the late Henry Pedris was reportedly cremated at an undisclosed location following the procedure prescribed for the cremation of a convicted criminal under Martial Law.
It was later revealed that he was killed as a result of a plan carried out by the senior officials who ruled the country at that time.
As such the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the President to appoint a three-member committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Anil Gooneratne to reveal information about this, study the relevant matters and submit a report with recommendations to the Cabinet to offer justice to him.
