Easter Sunday: Facing Landmark Judgement Seven Years Later

One of the defining features of Sri Lanka’s ruling party, National People’s Power (NPP), in its first two years in office has been its renewed emphasis on accountability, law enforcement and the pursuit of long-delayed justice. Its approach to these issues, and the direction it has taken, marks an important shift in a country where cases involving powerful individuals have often remained unresolved for years.

The government’s investigations into corruption, drug trafficking and organised crime, including alleged links between underworld networks and individuals with political or official connections, have brought a renewed focus on accountability, which is commendable. Its efforts to trace suspects overseas, secure their return and strengthen cooperation with foreign law-enforcement agencies have added a new dimension to the fight against organised crime. It has also taken the former president's family to task over alleged corruption charges. These are high-profile cases that no government in the past had the spine to probe.

As of 26 June 2026, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said that 96 Sri Lankan organised-crime suspects who were the subject of Interpol Red Notices remained abroad. The locations of 37 had been identified, including 19 in the United Arab Emirates and 11 in India. The minister said that many of the suspects were believed to be directing drug-trafficking operations from overseas. By August, police reported that 66 suspects linked to organised crime, and drug trafficking had been brought back to Sri Lanka since the NPP government assumed office in September 2024. Police also said that investigations involving these suspects had resulted in the freezing of assets worth approximately Rs.6 billion.

As this column goes to press, another long-awaited chapter in Sri Lanka’s search for justice is reaching its judicial climax. Yesterday, 22 September, the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar is scheduled to deliver its verdict in the main criminal case arising from the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Seven years after suicide bombers struck churches packed with worshippers and hotels where guests were having breakfast, the country is still grappling with the consequences of one of the darkest days in its recent history.

The NPP government has placed the Easter Sunday investigation among its most closely watched accountability initiatives. In February 2026, former State Intelligence Service Director Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with the continuing investigation. He remains subject to detention while the investigation proceeds. Separate proceedings against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando also reached a significant stage this year. On 31 July, both were sentenced to death after being found guilty in cases concerning their failure to act on intelligence warnings of an imminent attack. In Jayasundara’s case, the three-member bench delivered a divided verdict, with two judges finding him guilty and one dissenting. Former President Maithripala Sirisena has also paid Rs.100 million in personal compensation to victims of the Easter Sunday attacks following the Supreme Court’s determination of liability.

The main Easter Sunday case is unprecedented in scale. The 24 accused face 23,270 charges under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, including allegations of conspiracy, preparation, aiding and abetting the attacks, the collection of explosives and weapons, murder and attempted murder. The case has been taken up for trial on 22 September, when the court is scheduled to deliver its final verdict. Prosecutors allege that the accused conspired with Zahran Hashim, who led the group, and the suicide bombers who carried out the attacks.

The indictment covers the bombings at St Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade, St Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya and Zion Church in Batticaloa, as well as the Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels in Colombo and the Tropical Inn in Dehiwala.

The three-member Trial-at-Bar, comprising High Court Judges Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan and Sujeewa Nissanka, heard the case from October 2023. The prosecution called 2,309 witnesses, while extensive documentary, forensic and other evidence was presented to court. The evidentiary phase concluded in August, following which the court fixed 22 September for the verdict.

Whatever the outcome of the 23,270-count case, the verdict will mark a significant moment for the victims and their families and for Sri Lanka’s justice system. It is one of its kind in the world. It will also be closely watched by the Catholic Church and the wider international community, which have repeatedly called for accountability and transparency over the attacks.

But this case is only one part of a much larger pursuit of accountability. Other investigations involving senior political and security figures, including the continuing probe involving Suresh Sallay and other individuals, remain before the authorities and the courts. The significance of the Easter Sunday verdict will test whether Sri Lanka can finally move from years of allegations, political controversy and institutional delay towards a judicially established account of responsibility.

More fundamentally, the verdict should reaffirm that religious extremism and violence cannot be allowed to become instruments for targeting another community or to acquire legitimacy in the name of religion. Justice must remain anchored in the rule of law, individual accountability and the protection of every community, regardless of faith.

Sri Lanka has also taken steps towards confronting religious extremism and communal incitement, including cases involving influential nationalist monks and greater scrutiny of inflammatory content circulated through social media. This has become the need of the hour because there is a growing tendency in Sri Lanka to use religion for gains. The social media shows how religiously polarised people are growing to voice against the just systems.

For a region as religiously and ethnically diverse as South Asia, communal polarisation carries consequences far beyond politics. It can undermine social cohesion, discourage investment, weaken institutions and impede economic growth. If South Asian countries are to build stable societies and flourishing economies, the rule of law must prevail over religious or communal mobilisation, and political competition must not be allowed to turn communities against one another. At the moment, Sri Lanka is on the right path in curtailing corruption and religious fundamentalism despite the challenges.
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The writer is an award-winning journalist and the Deputy Editor of Ceylon Today. She can be contacted on [email protected]