Dozens of police and commandos were deployed to the courtroom before the verdicts were announced
Sri Lanka's High Court has given long jail sentences to 15 men charged with plotting the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed 270 people and injured more than 500.
Those found guilty include Naufer Moulavi, who prosecutors said masterminded the suicide bombings. Nine other men were acquitted.
The co-ordinated blasts at three churches and three luxury hotels were the deadliest in Sri Lanka since the end of its civil war in 2009. Forty-five foreigners were among the dead.
All the bombers who carried out the attacks died in the blasts. Investigators have previously blamed the bombings on Islamist extremists, and the 25 men indicted were from Sri Lanka's Muslim minority. One died in custody.
The 15 defendants on Tuesday were each given prison terms ranging from 200 to 260 years.
The court in the capital Colombo also ordered the confiscation of their all movable and immovable assets.
The accused, who had been charged with more than 23,000 offences, were handcuffed in pairs and brought to the court in two prison buses.
Most of those killed were Sri Lankans, many of whom were children.
They included celebrity chef Shantha Mayadunne and her daughter, an entire young family of five, at least eight members of staff from the hotels targeted and five members of the same family from the western Sri Lankan city of Negombo.
The foreigners who died included 11 Indians, eight Britons and five Americans .
Among the dead there were also citizens of Australia, Bangladesh, China, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Three of Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen's children died in the attack on the Shangri-La hotel, while the family had been holidaying there.
In the wake of the attacks, Sri Lankan authorities pointed to a "major intelligence lapse". Its parliament heard that a tip-off from India about the attacks was not properly shared with the authorities.
In 2023, the Supreme Court ordered former president Maithripala Sirisena to pay millions in compensation to the victims of the bombings, after finding him responsible for national security failures that led to the attacks.
Last month, two former senior officials were sentenced to death for criminal negligence that led to the bombings. Death sentences are usually commuted to life in prison in Sri Lanka due to a decades-old moratorium on executions.
For years, Sri Lankans have held regular demonstrations demanding justice for the victims of the Easter attacks.
The verdict comes as a separate investigation into former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay is under way. Sallay is accused of orchestrating the bombings with Islamist extremists.
The allegations echo those aired in a 2023 documentary by British broadcaster Channel 4, which heard whistleblower testimony claiming the attacks were allowed to happen to boost the popularity of the Rajapaksa family, which long dominated Sri Lankan politics.
Sallay, who was arrested in February, denies the allegations. Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was elected months after the 2019 attacks, with a campaign of tackling Islamist extremism has also denied the allegations.
Rajapaksa, who has been banned from leaving the country, has asked the court to prevent his potential arrest in connection with the ongoing investigations.
Sri Lankan court to deliver verdict on deadly Easter bombings
Sri Lanka Easter bombings victims named 'heroes of faith' by Vatican
Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC
Crypto giant Binance hit by $6.3bn hack thought to be largest in history
What we know about Binance's $6.3bn hack
Sir Ian McKellen leads tributes to 'beloved actor' Sir Patrick Stewart after his death at 86
What are the government's options for reducing welfare spending?
The Papers: 'No welfare cuts before election' and 'Police probe Epstein's Balmoral stay'
We went on holiday with our neighbours and swapped families - it tore us apart
Syrians struggle with soaring prices as crisis challenges post-Assad recovery
From workshops to the catwalk - why mended clothes are going mainstream
Weekly quiz: What was wrong with the Spotify listing of Dolly Parton's Jolene?
'Super offensive' - we love how we look but AI tried to 'fix' our visible differences
'The internet's a less whimsical place' - YouTuber Jacksepticeye branches out
I earn £30,000. I'm angry there was no fuel duty cut in the Budget
Martin Lewis explains what the Budget means for your money
First look: A darkly comedic Cold War thriller from the makers of Killing Eve
The extraordinary story of the escape of prisoner Daniel Khalife
Hyrox athlete who soiled herself in race tells BBC she put others at risk but says backlash was traumatic
'I run a spotless kitchen', says Michelin-star restaurant chef in wake of food hygiene debacle
'No welfare cuts before election' and 'Police probe Epstein's Balmoral stay'
Bombshell confession in The Traitors as faithfuls finally turn the screw
Mushroom murderer fails to overturn convictions in Australian court challenge
I didn't know I was lacking in vitamin D until I collapsed at work
Biggest fibre boost could be scraps in your bin, experts say
Democrats have an identity crisis - it won't be an easy fix
China made Mbappé apologise - but many don't know exactly what he said
Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
Loading comments…