15 Easter Sunday attack convicts sentenced to 220 years in prison each

Artistic illustration of a blood-stained Jesus statue, lightning and a judge’s gavel representing the Easter Sunday attack case judgement

Image by Onlanka.com

The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar today (September 22) sentenced each of the 15 defendants convicted in the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks case to 220 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The court also ordered the confiscation of all property belonging to the convicted defendants and directed that their fingerprints be obtained.

The sentences were announced in line with the final judgment in the case over the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, which took place on April 21, 2019, killing 269 people and injuring more than 500 others.

The sentence and related orders were issued by the three-judge Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar comprising Presiding Judge Navaratne Marasinghe, Sujeewa Nissanka and Ramanathan Kannan.

Earlier today, the court found 15 defendants guilty in the main case, while nine others were acquitted and released.

The case was filed against 24 accused, including Naufar Maulavi, over their alleged involvement in the attacks that targeted churches and hotels across Sri Lanka.

A total of 23,270 charges, including conspiracy and aiding and abetting the attacks, were filed in the case.

The 15 defendants found guilty are:

  1. Mohamed Naufar Maulavi
  2. Mohamed Shareef Adam Lebbe (Gafoor Mama)
  3. Hayathu Mohamed Ahamed Milhan
  4. Mohamed Ibrahim Sadik Abdullah
  5. Mohamed Ibrahim Sahid Abdul Haq
  6. Mohamed Anwar Mohamed Rizkan
  7. Mohamed Mansoor Mohamed Sanasdeen
  8. Abdul Manaf Mohamed Firdous
  9. Mohamed Rameez Mohamed Sajith
  10. Abdul Latheef Mohamed Shafi
  11. Husseinul Rizwi Khalid Sameer
  12. Mohamed Hanifa Zainul Abdeen
  13. Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Haris
  14. Rasik Raza Hussen
  15. Kachchi Mohamed Mohamed Jemsith

The nine defendants acquitted and released are:

  1. Mohamed Sawahir Mohamed Hassan
  2. Mohamed Ifthikar Mohamed Insaf
  3. Rasheed Mohamed Ibrahim
  4. Zainul Abdeen Mohamed Jaseem
  5. Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Rizwan
  6. Meera Sahib Mohamed Nafli
  7. Mohamed Ameer Mohamed Ayathulla
  8. Mohamed Ansardeen Mohamed Ilmi alias Ilmi
  9. Mohamed Akram Ahakkam

Information relating to the case also states that the 17th accused, Yaseem Bawa Abdul Rauff, has died.

The trial lasted for nearly five years and concluded on August 24, 2026.

A total of 2,309 witnesses testified for the prosecution during the proceedings, reflecting the scale of one of the largest and most complex criminal trials in Sri Lanka’s history.