Sri Lanka ex-president Sirisena ordered to compensate 2019 Easter bombing victims

Supreme court finds top government, police and intelligence officials were responsible for ‘failing to prevent’ bombings

The supreme court in Sri Lanka has ordered former president Maithripala Sirisena to pay millions in compensation to the victims of the 2019 Easter bombings, the first time the courts have acknowledged the government’s role in the attacks.

The top court found that Sirisena and several other top government, police and intelligence officials were responsible for “failing to prevent” the bombings in April 2019, “despite receiving intelligence ahead of the attack”.