• Lasantha was one of Sri Lanka’s leading journalists and an outspoken critic of the then Rajapaksa Government

The 14th anniversary of the assassination of The Sunday Leader founder Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunge, which falls on 8 January, was marked with a service at his graveside.

Family, friends, former colleagues, and others gathered at Borella Kanatte at 9 a.m. to mark the anniversary and remember Lasantha.   

Assassinated on 8 January 2009, Lasantha was one of Sri Lanka’s leading journalists and an outspoken critic of the then Rajapaksa Government. He was attacked as he drove to work and later died of his injuries. The brazen attack was carried out by two gunmen on motorcycles in the middle of morning-rush-hour traffic.  The investigation into Lasantha’s murder has yielded no tangible results thus far and his killers still roam free, 14 years later.