The verdict in the main case related to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks is scheduled to be delivered by the Colombo Special Three-Judge High Court on September 22.
The verdict will be delivered before a three-member bench comprising High Court Judges Navaratne Marasinghe, Sujeewa Nishanka and Ramanathan Kannan.
The Attorney General had filed 23,270 charges against 24 accused, including Naufar Moulavi, over allegations including aiding and abetting the suicide bombers led by Zahran Hashim and conspiring in connection with the attacks.
During the trial, the court admitted 10 confessions made by the accused as evidence. A total of 2,076 items of evidence, including concealed explosives, bombs, swords, firearms and chemicals used for manufacturing explosives, were also marked before the court.
The Easter Sunday attacks on April 21, 2019, claimed the lives of 274 people, including nearly 40 foreign tourists and around 35 children, while 577 others were injured.
The attacks involved eight suicide bombings targeting St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Zion Church in Batticaloa, three hotels in Colombo, and the Tropical Inn restaurant.
The Attorney General had initially filed charges against 25 accused under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. However, the indictment was amended after the 17th accused died while in prison before the trial commenced, leaving 24 accused to stand trial.
In August 2021, the Attorney General requested the Chief Justice to appoint a special three-member High Court bench to hear the case. Then Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya appointed a bench comprising High Court Judges Damith Thotawatta, Amal Ranaraja and Navaratne Marasinghe.
The case was subsequently filed before the special three-member High Court under 23,270 counts against the 25 accused.
