15 found guilty over Easter Sunday bombings each sentenced to between 200-260 years RI

In a landmark verdict delivered by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar, 15 defendants were found guilty of conspiracy and aiding and abetting the coordinated 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings. The attacks, which targeted churches and luxury hotels across Sri Lanka, resulted in the deaths of 269 individuals and left over 500 injured.

The three-judge bench handed down substantial prison terms to the convicted persons, sentencing each of them to between 200 and 260 years of rigorous imprisonment. Among those convicted was prominent suspect Naufer Moulavi, identified by investigators as one of the key ideological figures behind the extremist group responsible for the bombings.

A total of 24 individuals had been indicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Penal Code on thousands of charges. Following the conclusion of the lengthy trial, the court acquitted and discharged nine of the defendants due to insufficient evidence linking them to the execution of the attacks.