Only 3 days left to issue the final verdict on the Easter attack.

Tuesday, September 22, 2026, marks an extremely critical and unique milestone in Sri Lanka's judicial history, as well as in the process of delivering justice for the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. The primary reason for this is that two major and politically highly significant court cases related to the Easter attacks are scheduled to be called and final verdicts pronounced on that day in two of the country's main courts.

The first significant event is the scheduled pronouncement of the final verdict by the Permanent Three-Judge High Court of Colombo in the case filed against 25 accused, including Naufer Moulavi, who are directly linked to the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. This case, filed by the Attorney General on August 10, 2021, under the highest number of indictments in the country's judicial history – over 23,000 – was heard for nearly two and a half years. The trial was conducted over more than 250 court sittings before a panel of judges comprising Messrs. Navaratne Marasinghe, Sujeewa Nissanka, and Ramanathan Kannan, appointed by former Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. The prosecution's case concluded on August 13, 2026, after examining evidence from 547 out of 2,309 prosecution witnesses and marking 2,076 documents and productions.

The main accused, Naufer Moulavi, making a statement from the dock, said that although he maintained connections with Zahran Hashim and his group, he did not instruct them to carry out the attacks. The other accused, Hayathu Mohomadu Ahamadu Milhan and Mohomadu Haneefa Zeinul Abdeen, stated that they were threatened and forced to sign confessions written in Sinhala, and that they only participated in religious sermons. The Government Analyst revealed that 'Urea Nitrate' high-powered explosives were used for the first time in the country for the attacks on the Katuwapitiya, Kochchikade, and Batticaloa Zion churches. Former Judicial Medical Officer Dr. S. D. Channa Perera, who testified via video technology from Jamaica, confirmed the post-mortem reports of the bombers at the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels. From the outset, lawyers Sureen D. Perera, Manushika Kure, Hiruni Perera, Sister Sithija Jayamanna, and Sumiri N. Fernando, among others, appeared on behalf of the victim families, and the bench announced on August 24 that the final verdict would be delivered on September 22.

The second is the calling of the case related to the newly launched investigation to uncover the mastermind and conspiracy behind the Easter attacks, on the same day at the Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court. Following a revelation by Britain's Channel 4, and based on a complaint made by Father Rohan Silva, Executive Director of the Maradana Social and Religious Centre, the Criminal Investigation Department initiated this investigation. In connection with this, Major General Tuwan Suresh Salley, former head of the State Intelligence Service and Army Intelligence, was arrested in Peliyagoda on February 25, 2026, and questioned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Meanwhile, travel bans were imposed on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Colonel Mohamed Ansar, and Prem Ananda Udalagama.

Among the evidence presented against Suresh Salley, Pillayan's former secretary, Azad Moulana, stated that Salley intervened to provide bail for Zahran's brother and others, and that Rs. 250,000 was given by Army Intelligence. He also claimed that on the morning of the attack, Salley made a call to pick up someone near the Taj Samudra Hotel. The informant known as 'Pettha' has stated that a Muslim group observing the areas around Negombo and Katuwapitiya Church was assisted based on Salley's instructions, which former Magistrate Isuru Nettikumara has noted as strong evidence. Furthermore, Abdul Aziz Roomy has also given statements against Salley.

According to the latest revelations, Army Intelligence continuously received information about Zahran's extremist activities through an army informant named Thambiyan, who maintained connections with India's 'Q' division. Thambiyan immediately informed Army Intelligence about the killing of two police officers in Vawnativu on November 30, 2018, the Kattankudy motorcycle explosion, and the prior warnings given by the Indian 'Q' division a day before the attacks that there would be massive destruction to churches. However, the Director of Intelligence had reported to the Criminal Investigation Department that the Vawnativu incident was carried out by the LTTE, and no action was taken based on information provided after the attacks that the suspects were in Kalmunai. Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris stated in court that it is suspicious whether there was a plan to annihilate Zahran's gang when they could have been captured alive.

Additional Solicitor General pointed out that Suresh Salley, who was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital after being arrested and engaging in a hunger strike, has been obstructing investigations by remaining in the hospital for over 100 days even after abandoning the strike, and that there is suspicion of a medical conspiracy. Although Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasekara requested Salley's medical reports, the Director of the National Hospital has not submitted them, nor have the reports requested by the expert forensic psychiatric board appointed for torture allegations been provided. The Magistrate has ordered the Hospital Director to appear in court on the 22nd to explain the non-implementation of court orders, and this September 22nd has become an extremely critical day for all seeking justice for the Easter attacks.