Man previously questioned over Easter attacks seeks asylum in UK

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.

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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.