Sri Lanka's High Court has convicted 14 out of 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which resulted in the deaths of 279 people. The three-judge bench found the accused guilty on all charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and possessing firearms and explosives under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The convictions were handed down on September 22, 2026, after a lengthy trial.
The 24 men were accused of aiding and abetting the suicide bombers who struck three luxury hotels and three churches on April 21, 2019. The bombings killed 279 people, including 45 foreigners from countries such as the United States, Australia, Bangladesh, China, and the United Kingdom. The accused, who are from Sri Lanka's minority Muslim community, were prosecuted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. One defendant died in custody, and nine others were acquitted.
Among those convicted on all charges was Mohamed Naufar, identified by prosecutors as the ringleader who provided support to the eight-member suicide squad that carried out the bombings. The trial had already made Sri Lankan legal history, with prosecutors filing 23,270 charges, the most ever brought in a single case. The convictions were welcomed by Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church, with Catholic priest Jude Fernando saying it had taken a long time to get to this point.
The trial unfolded against the backdrop of a separate and highly sensitive investigation into allegations that elements within the Sri Lankan state may have had links to those responsible for the attacks. Former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay is in custody facing accusations that he had been the "mastermind" who orchestrated the bombings, allegations he denies. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told parliament in June that investigators believed Sallay had worked with Islamist extremists before the bombings were carried out.
Investigators said the network was cultivated to manufacture a security threat that would in turn bolster political support for the Rajapaksa family, which returned to power several months after the attack with Gotabaya Rajapaksa's election as president. According to court filings, investigators believed the objective was to create chaos and present Rajapaksa, a former defence chief, as the leader best placed to restore security. The Rajapaksa family dominated Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades.
The convictions were hailed as a major breakthrough in the case, with Teresa Fernando, a survivor who suffered head injuries, saying that no one should have to endure what she had gone through. "We came here today as victims of this attack to receive justice," she said. "Whatever the court says... we will bow our heads and accept it." Sentencing for the convicted men is set to take place later.
Three of the defendants were also charged by US authorities with terrorism-related offences linked to the bombings in December 2020. Five Americans were among those killed, including a US Commerce Department employee who was in Colombo on official business. The convictions mark a significant step towards justice for the victims and their families, who have been seeking accountability for the attacks.
Key points
- 14 men convicted of involvement in 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people
- Convicted men were found guilty on charges including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and possessing firearms and explosives
- Trial marked a significant step towards justice for victims and their families, who have been seeking accountability for the attacks
