Sri Lanka Bars Gotabaya Rajapaksa From Foreign Travel as Easter Bombings Investigation Widens

A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday imposed a foreign travel ban on former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and two former military officers as investigators widened a high-profile probe into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings , one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the country's history.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court issued the order after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) argued that allowing the three men to leave the country could obstruct ongoing investigations. The restrictions also apply to Army Colonel Mohamed Ansar and former intelligence officer Premananda Udalagama, also known as Silva.

The order was issued during proceedings involving former State Intelligence Service chief Suresh Sallay , who was arrested in February and remains in detention. Investigators have accused the retired major-general of conspiracy and aiding and abetting the attacks, allegations he has denied.

The coordinated suicide bombings on April 21, 2019 targeted three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 279 people, including 45 foreigners and 11 Indians, and injuring more than 500 others. The attacks were claimed by the local extremist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath , which had pledged allegiance to ISIS .

According to court submissions, Rajapaksa has not been named a suspect, but investigators have identified him as a person of interest . The travel ban is the first direct legal restriction imposed on the former president in connection with the Easter attacks probe.

The investigation has gained renewed momentum under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake , whose government reopened key aspects of the case after taking office in late 2024. Authorities have argued that earlier investigations may have been hampered by political interference and have pledged to uncover the full truth behind the attacks.

Investigators are examining allegations that the bombings may have been exploited to create a climate of fear that benefited Rajapaksa's successful 2019 presidential campaign. Those allegations stem partly from claims aired in a 2023 Channel 4 documentary and testimony from whistleblowers alleging contacts between intelligence figures and some of the attackers before the bombings. Neither Rajapaksa nor Sallay has been convicted of any offence related to those allegations, and both have denied wrongdoing.

The case remains politically sensitive in Sri Lanka, where victims' families and the Catholic Church have long demanded accountability. Church leaders have repeatedly expressed concerns over alleged cover-ups and delays in delivering justice, while the government insists the renewed investigation will pursue all leads regardless of political connections.