A Sri Lankan court on Tuesday found 15 men guilty of involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 260 people and wounded about 500.
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that → find → 500
The coordinated attacks targeted three churches and three hotels across the island nation during Easter services and celebrations.
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attacks → coordinate → services
The Islamic State-inspired bombings were among the deadliest attacks in Sri Lanka's history.
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bombings → inspire → history
Forty-two foreigners were among those killed, according to the news agency Associated Press.
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foreigners → kill → agency
The verdict comes more than seven years after the April 21, 2019 attacks, as separate investigations into the circumstances surrounding the bombings continue.
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investigations → come → bombings
15 convicted, nine acquitted
The high court convicted 15 men who had been charged with plotting the attacks, while nine others were acquitted.
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others → convict → attacks
The accused faced more than 23,000 charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and offences involving firearms and explosives.
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accused → accuse → firearms
Prosecutors said Naufer Moulavi, one of those convicted, masterminded the suicide bombings, the BBC reported.
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BBC → say → bombings
More than 2,300 people gave evidence for the prosecution, while investigators presented 2,076 pieces of evidence, including explosives, swords and firearms.
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investigators → give → explosives
None of the people believed to have directly carried out the bombings survived.
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None → believe → bombings
The coordinated blasts at three churches and three hotels were attributed to two Sri Lanka-based Islamic militant groups.
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blasts → coordinate → groups
Authorities filed 23,270 charges against 24 suspects in 2021 over allegations that they planned or inspired the attacks.
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they → file → attacks
The charges were brought under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and included murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and firearms and explosives offences.
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charges → bring → terrorism
Sri Lanka has not carried out an execution since 1976.
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Lanka → carry → 1976
As a result, death sentences are typically followed by life imprisonment.
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sentences → follow → imprisonment
In July, a former police chief and a former senior defence ministry official were sentenced to death for failing to act promptly on foreign intelligence warnings about possible attacks.
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chief → sentence → attacks
The two former senior officials were sentenced for criminal negligence linked to the bombings.
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officials → sentence → bombings
Questions over intelligence failures
The attacks prompted questions over security and intelligence failures.
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attacks → prompt → failures
Sri Lankan authorities identified a major intelligence lapse, while parliament heard that a warning from India about possible attacks had not been properly shared with the authorities.
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warning → identify → authorities
In 2023, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court ordered former president Maithripala Sirisena to pay compensation to victims after finding him responsible for national security failures that contributed to the attacks.
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that → order → attacks
Sri Lanka's Catholic Church has also alleged, without providing evidence, that those identified as perpetrators were not the masterminds and that a wider conspiracy was behind the attacks, according to AP.
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conspiracy → allege → AP
Separate investigation into former intelligence chief
A separate investigation involving former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay is also underway.
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investigation → involve → Sallay
Sallay is accused of orchestrating the bombings with Islamist extremists and denies the allegations.
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Sallay → accuse → allegations
The claims echo allegations aired in a 2023 Channel 4 documentary, which included whistleblower testimony alleging that the attacks were allowed to happen to boost the popularity of the Rajapaksa family, which had long dominated Sri Lankan politics.
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which → echo → politics
Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was elected months after the attacks after campaigning on tackling Islamist extremism, has denied the allegations.
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who → elect → allegations
He has been banned from leaving the country and has asked a court to prevent his potential arrest in connection with the ongoing investigation.
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He → ban → investigation
For years, Sri Lankans have held demonstrations demanding justice for those killed and injured in the Easter Sunday attacks.
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Lankans → hold → attacks
The Aporia
