Sri Lankan court to deliver verdict on deadly Easter bombings

ByIshara Danasekara, BBC Sinhala, Kumudu Jayawardana, BBC Sinhala and Koh Ewe.

Key points

• The allegations echo those aired in a 2023 documentary by British broadcaster Channel 4.
• The associates and relatives of nine suicide bombers are among those facing more than 23, 000 charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possessing firearms.
• There were additionally 2, 076 pieces of evidence, including explosives, swords and firearms.
• For years, Sri Lankans have held regular demonstrations demanding justice for the victims of the Easter attacks.
• A Sri Lankan court is due to rule on Naufer Moulavi.

Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan court is due to rule on Naufer Moulavi. This person is accused of masterminding the Easter bomb attacks that killed 270 individuals and injured more than 500 in 2019.

Twenty-three others will additionally receive verdicts for their involvement in planning and carrying out the co-ordinated suicide bombings.

Meanwhile, the attacks on a number of locations including a number of churches holding Easter mass and three luxury hotels was the deadliest attack Sri Lanka had seen since the end of its civil war in 2009.

Notably, the associates and relatives of nine suicide bombers are among those facing more than 23, 000 charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possessing firearms.

Notably, the prosecution had named Moulavi as the main organiser of the attacks, and had submitted what they remarked was a voluntary confession to the court where he had admitted his role.

For context, the court accepted the confession. Nevertheless, Moulavi afterwards informed the three-judge bench hearing the case that he was not shown what he was signing and rejected the allegations against him. More than 2, 300 individuals provided evidence for the prosecution.

After the attacks, Sri Lankan authorities pointed to a "major intelligence lapse". Its parliament heard that a tip-off from India regarding the attacks was not properly shared with the authorities.

After finding him responsible for national security failures that led to the attacks, in 2023, the Supreme Court ordered former president Maithripala Sirisena to pay millions in compensation to the victims of the bombings.

Last month, two former senior authorities were sentenced to death for criminal negligence that led to the bombings. Death sentences are usually commuted to life in prison in Sri Lanka due to a decades-old moratorium on executions.

In practice, the verdict on Tuesday comes as a separate investigation on former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay is under way. Sallay is accused of orchestrating the bombings with Islamist extremists.

Notably, the allegations echo those aired in a 2023 documentary by British broadcaster Channel 4. It heard whistleblower testimony claiming the attacks were allowed to happen to boost the popularity of the Rajapaksa family, which long dominated Sri Lankan politics.

Sallay, who was arrested in February, denies the allegations. Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. This person was elected months after the 2019 attacks, with a campaign of tackling Islamist extremism has additionally denied the allegations.

Rajapaksa, who has been banned from leaving the country, has asked the court to prevent his potential arrest in connection with the ongoing investigations.

Taken together, the developments around sri Lankan court to deliver verdict on deadly Easter bombings point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.