Sri Lanka’s High Court has convicted 15 men over their alleged involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people, including 45 foreigners, and injured more than 500.

After a five-year trial, a three-judge bench found 14 defendants guilty of all charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possession of firearms and explosives under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. A 15th man was convicted on some charges, while nine others were acquitted.

According to Al Jazeera, Mohamed Naufar, identified by prosecutors as a key organiser who supported the eight-member group that carried out the attacks, was among those convicted on all charges. Sentencing was scheduled for later Tuesday.

The April 2019 attacks struck three churches and three luxury hotels in Colombo and elsewhere, killing worshippers and foreign visitors. The verdict comes after years of scrutiny over whether authorities acted on intelligence warnings received before the attacks. 

Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church welcomed the convictions, while survivors and victims’ families said they had waited years for justice.

BOB Post