Eight of the nine accused who were acquitted of charges including conspiring to carry out a series of Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks targeting Christian churches and tourist hotels in Colombo and several other areas in 2019 have been released from prison, Prisons Media Spokesperson Senaka Pallathenna said.
He said the remaining accused must continue to remain in custody in connection with another case. Therefore, although he was acquitted in this case, he is unable to leave prison.
When delivering the verdict last Tuesday (22), the judges had instructed the prison authorities to check whether the acquitted accused were required to remain in custody in connection with any other cases and to release those who had no such cases.
The judges had also ordered that all documents confirming their release be provided free of charge.
The judges further stated that the order was made to enable the acquitted individuals to return to their respective hometowns with documentation confirming that they had been acquitted and released in the case.
