Sri Lanka's High Court on Tuesday convicted 14 of the 24 men facing trial over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which left 279 people dead, marking a significant stage in the nearly five-year prosecution over one of the country's deadliest attacks, Al Jazeera reported.
Nine others were acquitted, while another accused was convicted on only some of the charges.
A three-judge Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar delivered the verdict on September 22 after proceedings that stretched for nearly five years.
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The accused faced more than 23,270 charges, including conspiracy, aiding and abetting the attacks, and terrorism-related offences.
The prosecution examined 2,309 witnesses during the trial, which concluded in August.
The Easter Sunday attacks took place on April 21, 2019, when suicide bombers targeted churches and luxury hotels in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa.
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The coordinated attacks killed 279 people, including foreign nationals, and injured hundreds more.
Sri Lankan investigators linked the bombings to a homegrown Islamist extremist network.
Among those on trial was Naufar Maulavi, whom prosecutors identified as a key figure in the network behind the attacks.
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The case was brought under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act and included allegations that the accused had helped plan, support or facilitate the bombings.
The verdict followed extensive security arrangements around the Hulftsdorp court complex in Colombo, reflecting the sensitivity of the case.
Sentences will be announced separately. Sri Lankan law permits the death penalty for certain offences, although the country has not carried out an execution since 1976.
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