Sri Lanka's ex-leader asks court to stop possible arrest over 2019 attacks

Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has asked a court to block any potential arrest related to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The bombings, which targeted three hotels and three churches, resulted in the deaths of 279 people, including 45 foreigners.

Rajapaksa, along with two military intelligence officers, was recently issued a foreign travel ban by a Colombo court. This measure is in place pending investigations after he was designated a "person of interest" in the case. The former president's legal team filed a petition with the Court of Appeal, expressing concerns that the travel ban might be a precursor to his arrest.

Adding to the complexity, Rajapaksa's former intelligence chief, Suresh Sallay, has been detained since February. Sallay faces accusations of orchestrating the 2019 attacks. A lawyer representing Rajapaksa stated that the petition was lodged due to fears surrounding the travel ban, which was imposed by the Colombo Fort Magistrate on June 3.

Further scrutiny emerged from a 2023 report by British broadcaster Channel 4, which linked Sallay to the Islamist bombers. The report suggested Sallay met with the bombers before the attacks and that a whistleblower claimed Sallay allowed the attacks to proceed to influence the presidential election that year. Rajapaksa won that election, promising to combat Islamist extremism, but was later forced to resign in 2022 amid widespread protests over economic hardship.

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the travel ban, issued by the Colombo Fort Magistrate on June 3, was a precursor to the former leader’s arrest.