By The Pulseline News Desk
The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has convicted 15 of the 24 accused in the case filed over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, while nine accused have been acquitted.
The verdict was delivered today by the three-member Trial-at-Bar comprising Justices Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan and Sujeewa Nishshanka, following the conclusion of proceedings in a case involving more than 23,270 charges.
The charges against the accused included allegations of conspiracy, aiding and abetting in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks carried out on April 21, 2019.
The case was filed against 24 defendants in relation to offences arising from the attacks, which targeted churches and hotels in several parts of the country.
After considering the evidence and submissions presented during the lengthy trial, the High Court Trial-at-Bar delivered its determination on the liability of each accused, convicting 15 and acquitting the remaining nine.
The court is scheduled to pronounce the sentences on the convicted accused, with the sentencing phase expected to determine the penalties to be imposed for the offences for which they were found guilty.
The Easter Sunday attacks killed more than 260 people and injured hundreds more, making the case one of the most significant terrorism-related prosecutions in Sri Lanka’s recent history.
The verdict comes amid continuing public and political demands for accountability over the attacks, including questions surrounding the circumstances that allowed the attacks to take place despite prior intelligence warnings.
The criminal proceedings against those accused of directly participating in, facilitating or otherwise contributing to the attacks have been conducted separately from broader inquiries into alleged failures in intelligence coordination, security preparedness and the response of state authorities before the attacks.
The sentencing of the 15 convicted accused will now mark the next major stage in the long-running case.
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