Sri Lanka High Court convicts 15 men over 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people

High Court rulings and convictions

A three-judge bench at the High Court in Colombo convicted 15 men on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, for their roles in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The court found 14 defendants guilty on all counts, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and the unlawful possession of firearms and explosives under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. A 15th defendant was convicted on a subset of the charges, while nine other defendants were acquitted of aiding and abetting the suicide bombers. The legal proceedings concluded nearly five years after opening in November 2021, addressing an indictment that originally spanned 23,270 charges against 25 suspects, one of whom died in custody prior to the verdict. The presiding judge stated that formal sentencing determinations for the 15 convicted men would be delivered later on Tuesday.

Scope and casualties of the 2019 attacks

The coordinated suicide bombings occurred on 21 April 2019, targeting three Christian churches filled with worshippers during Easter Sunday services and three luxury hotels in Colombo: the Cinnamon Grand, The Kingsbury, and the Shangri-La. The explosions killed 279 people and injured between 450 and 500, marking the deadliest single day of violence in Sri Lanka since the conclusion of its civil war in 2009. At least 45 people died inside the three targeted hotels in the capital. The casualties included 45 foreign nationals from countries including the United States, Britain, China, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, Bangladesh, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. All suicide attackers who carried out the bombings died during the detonations.

Mastermind conviction and potential penalties

Among the 14 men convicted on all charges was Naufer Moulavi, whom prosecutors named as the primary architect and mastermind of the coordinated assault. Moulavi had initially provided what authorities termed a voluntary confession admitting his involvement, but he later retracted the statement before the court, stating that he had not been permitted to review the text before signing it. The court rejected his defense and affirmed his guilt across every charge filed against him. While local statutes allow for the death penalty in cases of murder and terrorism, Sri Lanka has not carried out an execution since 1976, with death sentences typically commuted to life imprisonment. In December 2020, United States authorities also filed federal terrorism charges against three of the defendants in connection with the deaths of five American citizens, including an employee of the Department of Commerce.

Intelligence warnings and political scrutiny

The verdicts follow years of civil unrest after the bombings and ongoing scrutiny regarding official inaction after Indian intelligence services provided advance warnings prior to 21 April 2019. A parallel investigation continues into alleged connections between figures within the Sri Lankan state apparatus and the extremist bombers. Suresh Sallay, the former head of military intelligence, remains in detention facing accusations that he orchestrated or assisted the operation, allegations that he has denied. In June 2026, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala addressed parliament, stating that investigators gathered evidence indicating Sallay interacted with local Islamist extremists in the period leading up to the 2019 attacks.