Easter Sunday Terror Trial Verdict : 15 Guilty, 9 Acquitted

COLOMBO (News 1st); The long-awaited verdict in the landmark case filed against 24 accused, including Naufar Maulavi, over the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks was delivered a short while ago by the Colombo Trial-at-Bar.

The judgment was delivered by the three-judge bench comprising Judges Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan and Sujeewa Nissanka.

According to the verdict, 15 accused have been found guilty, while nine others have been acquitted and released.

Sentencing of those convicted is scheduled to take place shortly.

The judgment brings to a close a trial that lasted nearly five years, with hearings concluding on August 24 this year.

The Attorney General had filed a total of 23,270 charges against the accused, including allegations relating to conspiracy, aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

During the course of the trial, 2,309 witnesses testified on behalf of the prosecution, making it one of the largest criminal proceedings in Sri Lanka’s legal history.

One of the accused died during the course of the trial proceedings.

The case was heard in connection with the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks carried out on April 21, 2019, targeting churches and tourist hotels in Colombo, Negombo, Batticaloa and surrounding areas.