Sri Lanka court convicts 15 men over deadly Easter Sunday bombings
A Sri Lankan court has convicted more than a dozen men for the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed hundreds, but the two reports differ on how many were found guilty and exactly how many died.
Written by Roundtablefrom 2 outlets' reporting
01What happened
Sri Lanka's High Court convicted men accused of involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings at three churches and three luxury hotels. Charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism. Some other defendants were acquitted. Sentencing has not yet been announced.
The facts every outlet at this table agrees on.
02Every voice
One entry per outlet, in the order they should be read. Each links back to the reporting it was drawn from — check any of it.
BBC News
Read the original· bbc.co.ukHow they framed it
Focuses on the conviction of an alleged mastermind and notes all the bombers died in the attacks.
In their words
The High Court convicted 15 men, including alleged mastermind Naufer Moulavi. Nine other men were acquitted. The attacks killed 270 people and injured more than 500. All the bombers died in the blasts. The 25 indicted were from Sri Lanka's Muslim minority; one died in custody. The accused faced more than 23,000 offences, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possessing firearms.
Al Jazeera English
Read the original· aljazeera.comHow they framed it
Emphasises the trial's duration and the number of defendants, reporting 14 convicted and one found guilty on only some charges.
In their words
A High Court on Tuesday convicted 14 of 24 men accused of direct involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people, following a five-year trial. Charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism, with sentencing to be announced later. Nine other defendants were acquitted, while one was found guilty on only some charges.
03Where they differ
The outlets disagree on the number of convictions (15 vs 14) and the death toll (270 vs 279). They also differ on the total number of accused: BBC says 25 men were indicted and one died in custody, leaving 24 defendants, while Al Jazeera reports 24 accused. BBC includes the alleged mastermind's name and notes all bombers died, while Al Jazeera says one defendant was convicted on only some charges. Both mention acquittals of nine others.
Described, not adjudicated. Roundtable does not tell you which account is right.
04Still open
- What sentences will be handed down?
- Who was the defendant convicted on only some charges?
- Why do the death tolls differ between outlets?
- What is the final number of convictions?
- How does the court's verdict address the role of the bombers who died?
