A Sri Lankan High Court bench has convicted 15 men for their involvement in the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday suicide attacks that killed 279 people and wounded over 500 across churches and luxury hotels.
The three-judge Trial-at-Bar delivered the ruling following a comprehensive five-year trial involving over 23,000 filed charges and testimony from more than 2,300 witnesses.
Fourteen defendants were found guilty on all major counts including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and illegal possession of explosives under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
A 15th defendant was convicted on select lesser charges, while nine suspects were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
Among those convicted on all primary counts was Mohamed Naufar, identified by prosecutors as the key operative who supplied critical ideological and logistical support to the suicide squad.
Justice served amid unresolved political questions
The April 21, 2019 coordinated strikes – carried out by bombers affiliated with local extremist outfits inspired by the Islamic State group – marked one of the deadliest days in the island nation’s modern history.
While the suicide bombers died during the attacks, prosecutors successfully targeted the network responsible for funding, training and planning the operations.
Though the judgment brings long-awaited legal accountability for victims and their families, broader political reverberations continue.
Parallel investigations remain active into systemic intelligence failures prior to the strikes, alongside ongoing parliamentary inquiries examining allegations of high-level political orchestrations linked to the tragedy.
Sentencing proceedings for the 15 convicted individuals are scheduled to follow in due course.
