Sri Lanka Easter Bombings: A Sri Lankan court has delivered a major verdict regarding the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide attacks. A three-judge bench of the Colombo High Court convicted 15 of the 24 accused, sentencing each to 220 years of rigorous imprisonment. Meanwhile, the court acquitted the remaining nine accused.
The attacks took place on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019. Nine suicide bombers linked to the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ)—a local Islamic extremist group affiliated with ISIS—carried out a series of blasts targeting three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. A total of 270 people, including 11 Indians, lost their lives in these attacks, while over 500 others were injured.
15 Convicts Sentenced to 220 Years Each
According to a report by ‘Ada Derana’, the verdict was delivered by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan, and Sujeewa Nissanka of the Colombo High Court. The court found 15 accused guilty and sentenced each to 220 years of rigorous imprisonment, while acquitting nine others of the charges.
23,270 Charges and Statements from 2,309 Witnesses
The trial for this case lasted nearly five years. During the proceedings, a total of 23,270 charges were framed against the accused. The prosecution recorded statements from 2,309 witnesses. The court also convicted the prime accused in the case, Naufer Moulavi.
Action Taken Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act
Action was taken against the accused under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act. They faced several serious charges, including murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, and the possession and use of weapons and explosives. NTJ leader Zahran Hashim led the attacks
The Easter Sunday attacks were led by Zahran Hashim, the leader of the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ). The attackers detonated explosives targeting churches during Easter services as well as major hotels.
Following the attacks, a major political controversy erupted in Sri Lanka regarding the security apparatus and intelligence network. Then-President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe faced accusations of failing to take adequate measures to prevent the attacks, despite the availability of prior intelligence.
During the investigation, five suspects linked to the Easter bombings were brought back to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Now, with this court verdict, the perpetrators involved in a key case related to the deadly 2019 attacks have been sentenced.
