The Colombo High Court will deliver its verdict on September 22, 2026, in the main case over Sri Lanka’s 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
Around 24–25 accused are facing charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, including conspiracy, aiding and abetting, arms and ammunition offences, and attempted murder. The case is being heard by a three-member Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar bench.
The coordinated suicide attacks on April 21, 2019, targeted churches and hotels, killing more than 270 people and injuring hundreds.
On the Easter Sunday of 2019, suicide bomb attacks were carried out by the local jihadi group NTJ on three main churches and three leading five-star hotels in Colombo.
Mohammadu Ebrahim Mohammdu Naufer alias Naufer Moulavi was cited as the principal suspect.
His links to extremist Zaharan Hashim, the leader of the Muslim radical group, were investigated.
Hashim was one of the suicide bombers who carried out the blast at the Shangri La Hotel.
Early this month, former police chief Pujith Jayasundera and Hemasiri Fernando, the then top bureaucrat in the Ministry of Defence, were handed the death sentence after being found guilty of criminal dereliction of duty for failing to act on prior intelligence that could have prevented the attacks.
The verdict comes amid renewed scrutiny of accountability for the attacks. Earlier this month, former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were sentenced to death for criminal negligence over their failure to act on intelligence warnings. Their lawyers have said they will appeal.
(With inputs from PTI)
