A Sri Lankan court is set to deliver verdicts on 24 defendants, including Naufer Moulavi, who is accused of orchestrating the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 270 people and injured more than 500 across churches and hotels. The attacks were the deadliest in Sri Lanka since the end of its civil war in 2009, and the ruling represents a critical moment for victims' families who have campaigned for years demanding accountability and justice.

The prosecution's case is substantial, involving over 23,000 charges against associates and relatives of the nine suicide bombers, supported by testimony from more than 2,300 witnesses and 2,076 pieces of evidence including explosives and firearms. Moulavi's case centres on a disputed confession—prosecutors say it was voluntary, but he claims he was not shown what he signed. The investigation has also uncovered major intelligence failures, leading to compensation orders against former president Maithripala Sirisena in 2023 and death sentences for two senior officials last month. A separate investigation is underway into former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay, accused of orchestrating the bombings with extremist groups, with allegations echoed in a 2023 Channel 4 documentary claiming the attacks were permitted to boost the Rajapaksa family's political standing.