Sri Lanka hands 220-year jail terms to 15 convicted of Easter bombings

Sri Lanka’s High Court on Tuesday handed 220-year jail terms to 15 men convicted of direct involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.

The three-judge bench found that 14 of the accused were guilty on all charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possessing firearms and explosives under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. A 15th defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, but all were each handed 220-year sentences.

Nine others were acquitted. The court also ordered that all property and other assets of the convicts be confiscated. The men had been were accused of aiding and abetting the suicide bombers who struck three luxury hotels and three churches on April 21, 2019.