Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Appeal to Block Arrest Set for Court Ruling on Sept 22

Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal has finished hearing a writ petition filed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and will deliver its decision on 22 September 2026. The petition seeks protection from arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with the investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, and also requests an interim order to prevent any arrest until the case is fully heard.

The hearing on 3 August was before a bench comprising Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justice Sarath Dissanayake, with President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva representing Rajapaksa. He argued that arrests require strong evidence and cited recent Supreme Court judgments, while also challenging an overseas travel ban imposed by the Criminal Investigation Department. The ruling is expected to attract significant public and political attention in Sri Lanka.