Sri Lankan Church, victims' families hail Easter attack verdict

 

St Anthony’s church in Colombo that was among the churches targeted by terrorists.  

By Sandran Rubatheeesan

Relatives of victims, civil society representatives and the Church in Sri Lanka have welcomed a trial court judgment sentencing 15 people to a combined total of more than 200 years in rigorous imprisonment for their roles in the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The court on Sept. 22 convicted 15 of 25 people indicted in connection with the attacks and acquitted nine. One of the accused died while in custody.

The defendants were found guilty of aiding and abetting the attacks, which killed 279 people and injured more than 500, including foreigners, on April 21, 2019. The attacks were the worst in the postwar history of the South Asian island nation.

The final verdict was delivered around 11 p.m. on Sept. 22 under tight security at the Supreme Court complex in Colombo.

Welcoming the judgment, Father Jude Krishantha Fernando, director of mass communications for the Archdiocese of Colombo, told UCA News that victims and affected families had waited seven years to see justice served for those killed in the attacks.

“Throughout this period, victims suffered a lot, and families collapsed, as in some families, both parents were killed in the attack. The judgment is a consolation to their plight,” he said.

However, Fernando stressed that the latest judgment does not mark the end of efforts to uncover the truth and identify the alleged masterminds behind the attacks. He said the Church would continue to demand justice and truth.

On July 31, the same bench convicted former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando over their failure to act on intelligence warnings ahead of the Easter Sunday bombings. Both were sentenced to death.

Meanwhile, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court re-remanded former State Intelligence Service director Maj. Gen. (retd.) Suresh Sallay, who was arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks.

Sallay, who is receiving treatment at Colombo National Hospital for a heart condition, has vehemently denied the allegations.

The court also imposed a travel ban on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in connection with the attacks.

Ruki Fernando, a Colombo-based civil society activist who has closely monitored the trials related to the Easter Sunday attacks, said the latest judgment was part of the judicial process but did not provide a complete picture of who was behind the attacks.

“There is a widespread belief that there was high-level involvement in the attacks for various reasons. We are hopeful that other ongoing cases will move ahead with prosecutions in order to reveal who the masterminds behind the attacks are,” Fernando said.

Pradeep Regan, who lost his 4-year-old daughter in the attacks, said only those who lost loved ones or were injured could understand the pain and suffering endured by victims and their families while waiting for justice.

“This is a good start to this process, and we welcome it. But we want to know who ordered them to pull the trigger too, since they also should be revealed to society,” he said (Courtship- UCAN)