Sri Lankan Court Convicts 15 in Deadly 2019 Easter Bombings
Fifteen men found guilty of involvement in coordinated attacks that killed over 260 people.
A Sri Lankan court on Tuesday convicted 15 men for their roles in the coordinated Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, which killed more than 260 people and injured approximately 500.
The attacks targeted three churches and three hotels across the island nation during Easter services and celebrations. The bombings, inspired by the Islamic State group, are among the deadliest in Sri Lanka's history and killed 42 foreign nationals.
In 2021, authorities filed 23,270 charges against 24 suspects accused of planning or inspiring the attacks. The charges included murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and firearms and explosives offenses under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
None of the individuals believed to have directly participated in the attacks are still alive. Sri Lanka has not carried out executions since 1976, meaning death sentences are typically commuted to life imprisonment.
Two Sri Lanka-based Islamic militant groups were accused of carrying out the bombings. The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has alleged, without providing evidence, that the identified perpetrators were not the masterminds and that a larger conspiracy was behind the attacks.
In July, a former police chief and a former senior defense ministry official were sentenced to death for failing to act promptly on foreign intelligence warnings about potential attacks.