Politics · Sri Lanka Bureau
Court of Appeal rejects Rajapaksa's bid to block PTA arrest
A two-member bench of Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal has dismissed a writ petition filed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa seeking to prevent his arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The ruling clears the way for authorities to proceed with investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
LSN Sri Lanka ·
The Court of Appeal's decision came on Tuesday when Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya, the court's president, and Justice Sarath Dissanayake rejected Rajapaksa's application for judicial intervention. The former president had sought to block authorities from arresting him under provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act as investigators continue probing the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
The dismissal of the writ petition removes a significant legal obstacle that had been standing between investigators and the former leader. Rajapaksa had argued that the arrest would be unlawful, but the appellate bench found insufficient grounds to grant the protective relief he sought.
The Easter Sunday attacks in April 2019 killed over 260 people across churches and hotels in Colombo and other areas. Investigations into the bombing have implicated multiple individuals and organisations, with authorities seeking to establish the full scope of involvement and potential lapses in security responses.
Rajapaksa, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, has faced mounting legal pressures since leaving office. The Court of Appeal's ruling represents a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings connected to the 2019 terror attacks.