President Issues Fresh 90-Day Detention Order Against Retired General Sallay Over Easter Sunday Attacks

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, exercising his authority as Minister of Defence, has issued a new Detention Order extending the custody of retired Major General Suresh Sallay, who is named as a suspect in connection with the devastating Easter Sunday attacks of 2019.

Six Months Already in Detention

Retired Major General Sallay has already been held for six months under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a law that grants authorities broad powers to detain individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activity. The newly issued Detention Order authorises a further 90 days of custody, keeping him in detention as investigations into the attacks continue.

Links to the Easter Sunday Bombings

The 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, carried out by the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ), claimed the lives of more than 260 people and injured hundreds more across multiple churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. The coordinated suicide bombings remain one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in the country's history.

Retired Major General Sallay, a former senior military intelligence official, has been identified as a suspect in the ongoing criminal investigations surrounding the attacks. Authorities allege he may have had prior knowledge of or connections to the plot.

Detention Under the PTA

The Prevention of Terrorism Act permits the Minister of Defence to issue Detention Orders against individuals suspected of involvement in acts of terrorism, allowing custody without trial for specified periods. Critics of the legislation have long argued that it enables prolonged detention without adequate judicial oversight, though authorities maintain it is a necessary tool in national security investigations.

The issuance of the fresh 90-day order signals that investigators have not yet concluded their inquiries into Sallay's alleged role in the attacks, and that the government considers his continued detention necessary for the purposes of the investigation.

The case is being closely watched by victims' families, civil society groups, and the broader public, many of whom have long called for full accountability over the Easter Sunday bombings and the intelligence failures that preceded them.

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