Sri Lankan Court Convicts 15 in Connection with 2019 Easter Bombings

On September 24, 2026, a three-judge bench of the High Court in Colombo convicted 15 men for their involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, which resulted in the deaths of 279 people. The bombings, attributed to the Islamic State (ISIS), targeted three churches and three luxury hotels. The convicted individuals received lengthy prison sentences, with five receiving 200 years, five others 220 years, four 240 years each, and one 260 years. Nine others were acquitted, and one accused died during the trial. Indika Rohan, who lost his 13-year-old daughter in the attacks, expressed partial satisfaction with the verdict, stating he would feel fully satisfied only after the case against former intelligence chief Suresh Salley is resolved. Rohan noted that he has been waiting for justice for over seven years. Following the bombings, a parliamentary committee found that police and intelligence officials failed to act on intelligence warnings. In 2023, the Supreme Court ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena and other officials to pay compensation to the victims for their negligence. Salley was arrested in February 2026 and is currently under police custody. Ruki Fernando, a rights activist, emphasized the importance of the case against Salley, suggesting it could lead to accountability for the masterminds behind the attacks. The bombings have also sparked discussions about the political context, with allegations that they were allowed to occur to benefit Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidential campaign. In 2024, Sri Lanka elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake as president, who has promised a thorough investigation into the attacks.