More than two dozen defendants facing over 23,000 charges related to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks have started presenting their defense before a three-judge panel at the Colombo High Court.
A significant phase of the trial connected to the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks commenced on Tuesday as defendants began laying out their defense arguments before the High Court. The case, which involves 24 defendants currently held in remand custody, carries more than 23,000 charges including conspiracy allegations linked to the attacks.
The proceedings are being overseen by a three-member bench comprising High Court Judges Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan, and Sujeewa Nissanka. During the court session, three defendants—Zainul Abdeen Mohamed Jeseem, Mohamed Mustapha Mohamed Rizwan, and Meera Zahir Mohamed Nafli—made statements directly from the dock as part of their defense presentation.
The trial is expected to continue as the defendants present additional evidence supporting their defense. This marks a transition from the prosecution's case phase to the defense's opportunity to address the allegations before the court.
