Man previously questioned over Easter attacks seeks asylum in UK

Wednesday, 26 November 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A Sri Lankan man once detained in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 269 people is pursuing an asylum claim in the UK.

The claimant, who has been granted anonymity, was arrested in Sri Lanka in early 2022 on suspicion of involvement in the coordinated suicide blasts that targeted churches and luxury hotels. Six British nationals were among the dead, including a mother and her two children. He denies the allegations.

He told an immigration tribunal that he was released on bail after paying a “large bribe,” and that police visits to his family home continued after his departure from the country. He left Sri Lanka in September 2022 and applied for asylum in the UK the following month, arguing that he faces persecution if returned.

His application, submitted for himself and his wife, was rejected by the Home Office. However, he succeeded in an appeal before the upper immigration tribunal, which ruled that errors had been made in the initial decision and ordered the case to be reheard.

The tribunal noted that an arrest warrant was issued shortly after he left Sri Lanka and that the earlier judgment had overlooked aspects of the documentary evidence, including his release on bail. Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge Claire Burns found no basis for the man’s claim that previous judges were “biased,” but said the earlier ruling contained several legal and factual mistakes. The case will now return to the first-tier tribunal for a full rehearing.

The Easter Sunday attacks, carried out by eight suicide bombers linked to the National Thowheeth Jama’ath, killed 38 foreign nationals. British victims included Anita Nicholson, 42, her children Alexander, 14, and Annabel, 11, who were staying at the Shangri-La Hotel. Others who died included IT director Lorraine Campbell, retired firefighter Bill Harrop and his wife, Dr. Sally Bradley, who were at the Cinnamon Grand.

The asylum appeal comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced sweeping changes to the UK’s asylum and appeals system, including temporary refugee status and new powers to remove migrants once their home countries are deemed safe.

A Home Office spokesperson said the Government had rejected the man’s asylum claim to “ensure this suspected terrorist never sets foot on British soil,” adding that it would defend the decision in court and that broader reforms aim to make it easier to deport illegal migrants and foreign offenders.