15 found guilty in 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks case
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The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar today (September 22) found 15 defendants guilty in the main case over the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, while nine others were acquitted and released.
The verdict was delivered by the three-judge Trial-at-Bar comprising Judges Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan and Sujeewa Nissanka.
The case was filed against 24 accused, including Naufar Maulavi, over their alleged involvement in the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks that targeted churches and hotels across Sri Lanka on April 21, 2019.
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:
- Mohamed Naufar Maulavi
- Mohamed Shareef Adam Lebbe (Gafoor Mama)
- Hayathu Mohamed Ahamed Milhan
- Mohamed Ibrahim Sadik Abdullah
- Mohamed Ibrahim Sahid Abdul Haq
- Mohamed Anwar Mohamed Rizkan
- Mohamed Mansoor Mohamed Sanasdeen
- Abdul Manaf Mohamed Firdous
- Mohamed Rameez Mohamed Sajith
- Abdul Latheef Mohamed Shafi
- Husseinul Rizwi Khalid Sameer
- Mohamed Hanifa Zainul Abdeen
- Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Haris
- Rasik Raza Hussen
- Kachchi Mohamed Mohamed Jemsith
The nine defendants acquitted and released are:
- Mohamed Sawahir Mohamed Hassan
- Mohamed Ifthikar Mohamed Insaf
- Rasheed Mohamed Ibrahim
- Zainul Abdeen Mohamed Jaseem
- Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Rizwan
- Meera Sahib Mohamed Nafli
- Mohamed Ameer Mohamed Ayathulla
- Mohamed Ansardeen Mohamed Ilmi alias Ilmi
- Mohamed Akram Ahakkam
The 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, highlighting the scale of one of the largest and most complex criminal trials in Sri Lanka’s history.
The sentences against the 15 convicted defendants are scheduled to be announced later today.
