Prison sentences for Sri Lanka Easter bombers

In a landmark ruling in Sri Lanka’s legal history, 15 men have been convicted and each sentenced to over 200 years in prison for involvement in the Easter bombings of 2019. Please continue to pray for justice and the comfort of those affected by the attacks.

Fifteen men have been convicted and sentenced to over 200 years in prison for involvement in the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 in Sri Lanka. The devastating attacks targeted three churches and three hotels, killing over 200 people – amongst them, many believers. Now, seven years of pain and grief later, the pursuit of justice is seeing results.

The suspects were prosecuted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Murder, conspiracy and illegal firearms possession are only three of the unprecedented 23,270 charges levied against the suspects, resulting in a sentencing of 220 years.

Hope for justice

When the attacks struck on Easter Sunday of 2019, the church in Sri Lanka was shaken to its core. Hope for justice was diminishing in the face of political inaction and apathy. In Sri Lanka, Christianity is one of the island’s minority religions – believers had little expectation of being heard.

In 2022, the famous ‘Aragalaya’ protests erupted across the nation, where citizens united to oppose corrupt politicians. The presidency was renewed with the election of Ranil Wickremesinghe, but the situation remained unchanged. However, when Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office, hope was rekindled with the new president’s promises to deliver justice to the victims of the Easter attacks.

2026 commenced, bringing with it a thorough investigation into the bombings. One part of the investigations led to former president Maithripala Sirisena, who was in power at the time of the attacks, being heavily fined for his failure to prevent the tragedy.

This was followed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando being sentenced to death in July. Former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay has been accused of orchestrating the bombings and working directly with Islamist extremists to create a nation security crisis, and remains in custody. Investigations suggest that the intention of the perpetrators was to rally public support for Gotabaya Rajapaksa and enable his return to power.

A long wait

For multitudes of Christians in Sri Lanka, the past seven years have been marked by grief, heartbreak and longing. This moment in the nation’s history comes as a significant step towards greater closure for our brothers and sisters.

“Finally, we have justice,” Reverend Friar Jude Fernando of the Archdiocese of Colombo shares. “It has taken a long time to get to this point.”

Thank you for praying for our brothers and sisters whose trauma and loss have been painfully drawn out over the past few years. Please continue to intercede for them as the pursuit of justice goes on.