Sri Lanka court convicts 15 men over deadly Easter Sunday bombings
The 2019 attacks were the deadliest the country had seen since the end of its civil war.
The Sri Lankan High Court has convicted 15 men in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 270 people and injured over 500. The plot, which involved coordinated blasts at churches and hotels, was the deadliest in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war in 2009. Among those found guilty is Naufer Moulavi, who prosecutors say masterminded the attacks.
All the bombers died in the blasts, and 45 foreigners were among the victims. The accused, mostly from Sri Lanka's Muslim minority, faced more than 23,000 charges, including murder and terrorism. The court acquitted nine others. The intelligence failure that allowed the attacks to occur was highlighted, with a tip-off from India not being properly shared with Sri Lankan authorities.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena was ordered to pay compensation in 2023 for national security failures leading to the bombings, and two former senior officials were recently sentenced to death for criminal negligence.
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