Sri Lanka court convicts 15 men over deadly Easter Sunday bombings

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. Most of those killed were Sri Lankans, many of whom were children



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.