A Sri Lankan court has found 15 individuals guilty for their involvement in the planning and preparation of the 2019 Easter bombings, while acquitting nine others. The attacks, which occurred on April 21, 2019, targeted three churches and three hotels, resulting in 267 deaths and 574 injuries. The court ordered the confiscation of the convicted individuals’ properties and handed down prison sentences ranging from 200 to 260 years for some.
During the Colombo trial, the court convicted 15 people and acquitted nine. The attacks were carried out by suicide bombers linked to the Islamic State, striking three churches and three hotels, killing 267 people, including 42 foreign nationals. All perpetrators involved in the attacks have since died.
The court’s sentence includes prison terms between 200 and 260 years. Religious leader Muhammad Ibrahim Mohamed Naufer received a 22-year sentence, while Muhammad Ibrahim Sadik Abdullah was sentenced to 240 years in prison. Those convicted retain the right to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Catholic Church welcomed the verdict but noted that questions remain about the masterminds behind the attacks. Church spokesperson Reverend Jude Krisantha Fernando expressed hope that the decision would help prevent similar incidents in the future. Another priest, Reverend Dilan Perera, emphasized that Sri Lanka’s multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious society makes violence committed in the name of religion unacceptable.
