15 Men Jailed for 220 Years Over 2019 Sri Lanka Easter Bombings
A Sri Lankan High Court has sentenced 15 men to 220 years in prison each for their alleged roles in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country’s history.
A three-judge bench found 14 of the accused guilty on all charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possession of firearms and explosives under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The 15th defendant was convicted on some of the charges. Despite the differences in the findings, all 15 were handed 220-year prison terms. Nine other accused were acquitted.
The court also ordered the confiscation of the convicts’ property and other assets.
Convicts Accused of Aiding Suicide Bombers
The men were accused of assisting and supporting the suicide bombers who targeted three luxury hotels and three churches on April 21, 2019.
The coordinated attacks killed 279 people and injured many others, making them the worst terrorist attack against civilians in Sri Lanka.
The bombings were carried out by an eight-member suicide squad, with investigators linking the attack to a homegrown Islamist extremist network.
Local media had earlier speculated that some of the accused could face the death penalty. However, Sri Lanka has not carried out an execution since 1976, and death sentences are generally commuted to life imprisonment.
Catholic Church Welcomes Verdict
Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church welcomed the convictions after the trial, which lasted around five years.
“Finally, we have justice,” Catholic priest Jude Fernando told AFP, reflecting the relief among many victims and families who had waited years for accountability.
Teresa Fernando, a survivor who suffered head injuries in the attacks, also welcomed the verdict.
“We came here today as victims of this attack to receive justice,” she said, adding that the victims would accept the court’s decision.
First Direct Criminal Prosecution
The case marks the first criminal prosecution directly linked to the coordinated Easter Sunday bombings.
Earlier, a former police chief and an ex-security chief were sentenced to death in July for criminal negligence after being found responsible for failing to act on intelligence warnings ahead of the attacks.
All the convicted men are members of Sri Lanka’s minority Muslim community. Twenty-five people were initially charged in the case, but one accused died while in custody.
Prosecutors filed 23,270 charges during the trial, making it the largest number of charges ever brought in a single case in Sri Lankan legal history.
Among those convicted on all charges was Mohamed Naufar, whom prosecutors identified as a key figure who provided support to the suicide bombers.
Separate Probe Into Alleged State Links
The verdict comes as another sensitive investigation continues into allegations that individuals within the Sri Lankan state may have had links to those behind the attacks.
Former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay is in custody over allegations that he was involved in orchestrating the bombings. Sallay has denied the accusations.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told parliament in June that investigators believed Sallay had worked with Islamist extremists before the attacks.
Investigators have alleged that the extremist network may have been cultivated to create a security threat that could strengthen political support for the Rajapaksa family, which returned to power months after the bombings following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as president.
According to court filings, investigators believed the alleged objective was to create instability and portray Rajapaksa, a former defence chief, as the leader capable of restoring security.
The Rajapaksa camp has rejected allegations of state involvement in the Easter bombings.
Foreign Nationals Among Those Killed
The victims included 45 foreign nationals from countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Britain, China, Denmark, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States.
The court’s verdict closes one major chapter in the long-running investigation, while questions surrounding the wider circumstances of the attacks remain the subject of separate inquiries.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
