Sri Lanka Convicts 15 Over 2019 Easter Bombings
Has justice been delivered or do ignored intelligence warnings leave key questions unanswered?
Above: Police escort suspects in Sri Lanka's 2019 Easter attacks during a verdict hearing in Colombo, Sept. 22. Image credit: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Fifteen convictions and rigorous sentences of up to 260 years mean the families who waited more than seven years finally have justice. A five-year trial, tens of thousands of charges and a court that also stripped the convicted of their assets show the system worked. Justice has been delivered for the 279 killed on Easter Sunday.
Establishment-critical narrative
Locking up 15 men is only a slice of the story, because the warnings about these bombings reached the top of the security establishment and nobody acted. Until investigators explain why intelligence chiefs sat on "Top Secret" alerts and whether anyone wanted the attacks to happen, this case stays wide open. Calling a verdict against foot soldiers the end of accountability insults the victims.