Fifteen defendants have been found guilty by Colombo’s Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings and sentenced to lengthy terms of rigorous imprisonment ranging from 200 to 260 years. The three-member bench concluded that the prosecution had proved the charges against the 15 accused beyond reasonable doubt after considering extensive evidence presented during the years-long trial.
The court sentenced one convict to 260 years, four to 240 years, five to 220 years and another five to 200 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also ordered the confiscation of the convicts’ movable and immovable assets with effect from September 22, 2026.
Meanwhile, nine other defendants who faced charges in the case were acquitted and ordered to be released after the court determined that the prosecution had not established the charges against them beyond reasonable doubt. The case involved 25 defendants and more than 23,000 charges, with evidence from over 2,300 prosecution witnesses considered by the court.
The Easter Sunday attacks on April 21, 2019, targeted three churches and three hotels, killing 269 people and injuring more than 500 others. The judgment marks a significant development in the long-running legal proceedings arising from the attacks.
