The Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar in Colombo today imposed lengthy prison sentences on 15 defendants convicted in the case over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Five convicts were sentenced to 200 years’ rigorous imprisonment each, another five were sentenced to 220 years each, four were sentenced to 240 years each, and one was sentenced to 260 years’ rigorous imprisonment.
The court also ordered the confiscation by the State of all movable and immovable property belonging to the 15 convicts, with the order taking effect today.
The three-judge bench earlier found the 15 defendants guilty, ruling that the prosecution had proved the charges against them beyond reasonable doubt. Nine other defendants were acquitted and released.
The defendants convicted and sentenced were:
- Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Naufer, alias Naufer Moulavi
- Mohamed Sariboo Adam Lebbe, alias Abu Hadeeq or Gafoor Mama
- Hayathu Mohamed Milhan, alias Abu Sila
- Mohamed Ibrahim Sadiq Abdullah, alias Abu Umar
- Mohamed Ibrahim Shahid Abdul Haq, alias Abu Fala
- Mohamed Anwar Mohamed Rizkan, alias Abu Tariq
- Mohamed Mansoor Mohamed Sanasdeen, alias Abu Mizan
- Abdul Manaf Mohamed Firdous
- Mohamed Rameez Mohamed Sajid, alias Sajid Moulavi or Abu Naja
- Abdul Latheef Mohamed Safi, alias Safi Moulavi or Abu Furqan
- Husainul Risvi Khalid Sameer
- Mohamed Haniffa Zainul Abdeen, alias Abu Hina
- Mohamed Mustapha Mohamed Haris, alias Abu Naan Siyar
- Kachchi Mohamed Jesmin
- Zainul Abdeen Mohamed Jaseen
Defendants numbered one to nine, as well as defendants 11, 15, 16, 18 and 19, were found guilty of all charges against them.
The 10th defendant, Abdul Latheef Mohamed Safi, was acquitted only of the 16th charge against him but was convicted of the remaining charges.
The following nine defendants were acquitted and released:
- Mohamed Zawahir Mohamed Hasan, alias Abu Dawood
- Mohamed Iftikar Mohamed Insaf, alias Abu Mohamed
- Rasheed Mohamed Ibrahim
- Razik Raza Hussain
- Mohamed Mustapha Mohamed Rizwan
- Meera Saheed Mohamed Nafli, alias Abu Sana
- Mohamed Ameen Ayanthullah
- Mohamed Ansardeen Hilmi
- Mohamed Akram Ahakkam
The Attorney General initially served indictments on 25 defendants, including Naufer Moulavi, on 4 October 2021. The 22nd defendant, Yasin Bawa Abdul Rauf, died in 2023 while the trial was underway, leaving 24 defendants before the court at the time of the judgment.
The case involved more than 23,270 charges, including conspiring to carry out the coordinated suicide bombings and aiding and abetting the attackers.
The lengthy trial, which continued for nearly five years, concluded on 24 August 2026.
The Attorney General alleged that the defendants conspired with Zahran Hashim and several others to promote extremist ideologies and provoke religious, ethnic and communal hostility.
The conspiracy resulted in coordinated suicide bombings at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade, St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Zion Church in Batticaloa, the Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels in Colombo, and the New Tropical Inn in Dehiwala.
Nearly 270 people were killed and 526 others were injured in the attacks.
The defendants were prosecuted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for conspiring to commit the attacks and providing assistance and support to the perpetrators.
Security was tightened around the court complex ahead of the judgment, with police and Special Task Force personnel deployed in the surrounding area. Those entering the court premises were subjected to stringent security checks.
