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The Vatican called 167 people who died in the Easter blasts of 2019 in Sri Lanka as “heroes of faith”.
The Cardinal of the country, Malcolm Randzhit, announced the event to mark the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks aimed at Catholic churches and five stars of hotels during the Easter Sunday Mass, killed by 269 people.
Those who were recognized by the Vatican were Catholic believers who attended the Mass in churches that were attacked.
The interviewed explosions shook the country that did not see this level of violence since the end of the 2009 civil war. However, since then the investigations of the attacks have been contradictory.
Muslim extremists have stated the attacks, but there was a public criticism from the families of the victims and by the Christian minority community on the island that accused the government of dragging their feet in taking measures against those suspected of carrying out the blasts.
The anger grew when information arose that previous intelligence was not operated on by the heads of security and the government of the time. The country’s Supreme Court has since led the then President Maitrypala Sirisen to pay compensation to the victims of the blasts for “ignoring effective intelligence”, which could prevent attacks.
The trial was opened against 25 people accused in 2021. However, out of 23,000 charges against men, the lawyers involved in the case have warned that a large number of charges and a staggering list of witnesses may mean that the trial has been going on for years.
The Catholic community, led by Cardinal Randzhit, has repeatedly claimed that the government at the time covered the investigation into the defense of the brain attacks.
Investigation of 2023 on Channel 4, which raised questions about the relations between the government, the military and the group accused of attacks, also pushed public anger. It claimed that the attacks allowed political force.
The presidential election, which took place shortly after the attacks saw that the Gotobaya Rajapax was swept away from power after campaigning on the national security platform.
He made a statement in the parliament, denying all the allegations raised in the documentary.
The problem acquired a new currency when in 2024 Sri Lanka elected a new president and parliament. Since then, the recently elected government claimed that the attacks were “a particular group” to seize political power at the time.
They also restored the investigations of the attacks, with a report by the Presidential Investigation Commission was officially transferred to the country’s central investigative agencies for further investigation.
“As a government, we again confirm our commitment to ensure justice. The efforts to investigate the attacks and reveal all truths and delay remain the main priority. Exchange, transparency and true justice are important for honoring the victims and restoration of public trust,” said the Prime Minister.
