Court Slaps Travel Ban on Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Over Easter Sunday Attack Investigation
A Sri Lankan court has imposed a travel ban on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, prohibiting him from leaving the country as investigations into the devastating 2019 Easter Sunday attacks continue to unfold.
Court Order Restricts Ex-President's Movement
The order, issued by a Sri Lankan court, prevents Gotabaya Rajapaksa from travelling abroad while authorities probe the circumstances surrounding the deadly Easter Sunday bombings. The move marks a significant development in the long-running legal proceedings connected to one of the worst terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka's modern history.
Background: The Easter Sunday Bombings
The Easter Sunday attacks of April 21, 2019, shook the nation to its core when coordinated suicide bombings targeted churches and luxury hotels across Sri Lanka, killing more than 260 people and injuring hundreds more. The attacks, claimed by the Islamic State, triggered widespread grief and raised serious questions about intelligence failures and whether warnings were ignored by senior officials.
At the time of the bombings, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not yet president — he assumed office later that year in November 2019. However, investigators are examining the roles and responsibilities of various officials in connection with the security lapses that preceded the attacks.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
The travel ban reflects the seriousness with which the Sri Lankan judiciary is treating the Easter Sunday probe. Authorities have been scrutinising the conduct of political and security establishment figures, with the investigation touching the highest levels of the country's former leadership.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who resigned from the presidency in July 2022 following mass protests driven by Sri Lanka's catastrophic economic crisis, had subsequently spent time abroad before returning to the country. The newly imposed travel restriction ensures he remains within Sri Lanka's jurisdiction as the legal process moves forward.
Families of Victims Await Justice
For the families of those killed and injured in the attacks, the court's decision has been a long-awaited step toward accountability. Victim advocacy groups have consistently called for transparent and thorough investigations into who bears responsibility for the intelligence failures that allowed the bombings to take place.
The Easter Sunday attacks remain a deeply painful chapter in Sri Lankan history, and many survivors and bereaved families continue to demand that all those found culpable — regardless of political standing — face the full weight of the law.
Further hearings in the case are expected to take place in the coming weeks as the investigation progresses.
