Sri Lanka’s High Court on Tuesday (September 22, 2206) convicted 14 of the 24 men for being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings , which killed 279 people.
Dozens of police commandos provided security outside as the verdicts were read. Twenty-five men were originally charged, but one defendant died in custody. Investigators blamed the attack on a homegrown Islamist extremist group.
The three-judge Bench found that 14 of the accused were guilty on all charges, which included murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possessing firearms and explosives under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The presiding Judge told a packed court that sentencing would be done later on Tuesday (September 22, 2026).
Rajapaksa, a former defence chief, as the leader best placed to restore security.
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. Investigators believed the objective was to create chaos and present Mr, according to court filings.
The trial has 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 orchestrated the bombings, allegations he denies.
