Sri Lankan court rejects Gotabaya Rajapaksa's bid to block arrest

The Sri Lankan Court of Appeal has dismissed a petition filed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa seeking to prevent his arrest and detention. The application sought a writ to stop the Criminal Investigation Department from detaining him under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

The court declined to exercise its writ jurisdiction, effectively leaving Rajapaksa legally vulnerable to investigators. While the ruling does not constitute a conviction or a formal decision that he should be arrested, it removes the legal shield he sought to prevent potential custody during the ongoing investigation.

The 2019 suicide attacks targeted churches and hotels, killing more than 260 people. At the time of the bombings, Rajapaksa served as Defence Secretary. The legal proceedings follow years of demands from victims' families and civil society for accountability regarding intelligence failures and security lapses.