The High Court in Sri Lanka has delivered long prison sentences to 15 men convicted of plotting the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks, which claimed 270 lives and injured more than 500 people across the nation.
The verdict, announced in the capital Colombo on Tuesday, followed a trial for the co-ordinated blasts that targeted three churches and three luxury hotels, marking the deadliest act of violence in Sri Lanka since the end of its civil war in 2009. Among those found guilty is Naufer Moulavi, whom prosecutors identified as the alleged mastermind behind the series of suicide bombings.
Each of the 15 defendants received prison terms ranging from 200 to 260 years. In addition to the extensive sentences, the court ordered the confiscation of all their movable and immovable assets. Nine other men who were indicted alongside them were acquitted of the charges.
The accused had faced more than 23,000 offences in connection with the bombings. Security measures were heightened around the courtroom for the announcement, with dozens of police and commandos deployed. The defendants were brought to the court in two prison buses, handcuffed in pairs.
The April 21, 2019 attacks saw simultaneous explosions devastate places of worship and high-end accommodation. All the bombers who carried out the attacks died in the blasts. Investigations into the incident have previously attributed the bombings to Islamist extremists. The 25 men initially indicted in connection with the plot were identified as being from Sri Lanka's Muslim minority. One of the indicted individuals died while in custody.
The human toll of the attacks was profound, with the majority of those killed being Sri Lankan citizens, including numerous children. The tragedy resonated deeply within communities, claiming the lives of individuals such as celebrity chef Shantha Mayadunne and her daughter. In one instance, an entire young family of five was wiped out. At least eight members of staff from the targeted hotels were among the deceased, alongside five members of the same family from Negombo, a city in western Sri Lanka.
The global impact of the attacks was also significant, with 45 foreign nationals among the fatalities. These included 11 Indians, eight Britons, and five Americans. Citizens from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey also lost their lives. Notably, three children of the Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen died during the attack on the Shangri-La hotel, where the family had been on holiday.
In the aftermath of the bombings, Sri Lankan authorities acknowledged a "major intelligence lapse." Parliament heard reports that a crucial tip-off regarding the impending attacks, provided by India, was not properly disseminated among relevant authorities within the country.
The issue of accountability for these failures has been a significant point of contention and legal action. In 2023, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay millions in compensation to the victims of the bombings. The court's ruling held him responsible for national security failures that were deemed to have contributed to the attacks.
More recently, last month saw two former senior officials sentenced to death for criminal negligence directly linked to the bombings. While death sentences are pronounced in Sri Lanka, they are typically commuted to life imprisonment due to a decades-old moratorium on executions.
The verdict arrives amidst sustained public demand for justice. For years, Sri Lankans have staged regular demonstrations and protests, calling for full accountability and closure for the victims and their families.
Further investigations related to the Easter Sunday attacks remain ongoing. A separate inquiry is currently underway into former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay, who stands accused of orchestrating the bombings in collaboration with Islamist extremists. Mr Sallay, who was arrested in February, has consistently denied these allegations.
These allegations echo claims made in a 2023 documentary by the British broadcaster Channel 4. The documentary featured whistleblower testimony suggesting that the attacks were deliberately allowed to occur to boost the popularity of the powerful Rajapaksa family, a political dynasty that has long dominated Sri Lankan politics.
Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was elected months after the 2019 attacks on a platform promising to tackle Islamist extremism, has also denied the allegations of his family's involvement. Mr Rajapaksa is currently banned from leaving Sri Lanka and has formally requested the court to prevent his potential arrest in connection with the ongoing investigations. The complex web of legal proceedings and political accusations continues to unfold as the nation grapples with the aftermath of one of its most devastating modern tragedies.
