In custody
People reported in custody
This list holds people whose dated status line reports them in prison, remand or detention. Remand and detention are not findings of guilt. It follows the last report found for each person, so it can be behind events.
PeopleIn custodyOn bailConvictedOrganisationsCases and eventsEaster attacksThe Rajapaksa familyPresidents since 2019Politicians and investigatorsGalagoda Aththe GnanasaraThe LTTE war, 1983 to 2009The Treasury bond casesThe 2022 economic crisisDisappearances and wartime killingsWar accountability at the UNCommunal violence and state force, 2013 to 2019Attacks on journalists and media, 2009 to 2026Disasters, 2004 to 2025Colombo Metro bus service, 2025 to 2026
In custody (27)
- Abdul Latheef Mohamed SafiConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Abdul Manaf Mohamed FirdousConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Chamara Sampath DassanayakeIn custody
- Arrested by the bribery commission on 12 October 2026 and remanded until 23 October 2026, when bail was refused and he was further remanded until 6 November 2026; separately charged over a 2016 cheque; in a further bribery commission case over fixed deposit withdrawals, on which he had earlier been bailed, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court fixed 9 February 2027 on 3 November 2026; no verdict reported
- Duminda SilvaConvictedIn custody
- Supreme Court declared his pardon invalid on 17 January 2024 and ordered the sentence implemented; News First described him on 20 March 2026 as imprisoned under a death sentence; no release reported
- Galagoda Aththe GnanasaraConvictedIn custody
- In prison since 5 October 2026, serving the rest of the 2018 contempt sentence; petitions over the prison-attire decision are before a new three-judge Court of Appeal bench after the court’s President recused himself on 14 October 2026, and were fixed for consideration on 22 October 2026; the Prisons Department said on 14 October 2026 that a committee reviewing prison attire rules for imprisoned religious leaders was expected to report within about two weeks. On 20 October 2026 the Minister of Buddhasasana said he is scheduled to be produced in court wearing his robes on 23 October 2026; on 22 October 2026 the ministry told the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha he would not be produced in court on 23 October; a Prisons Department gazette reported on 24 October 2026 sets a procedure for removing the robes of imprisoned monks; on 23 October 2026 the Colombo High Court judge hearing a separate case over his alleged remarks about the Quran said the court could not order the reinstatement of his robe, and fixed that case to be recalled on 29 January; the monks’ satyagraha was in its tenth day on 25 October 2026
- Hemasiri FernandoConvictedIn custody
- Sentenced to death on 31 July 2026; reported by AFP on 1 August 2026 to be held in a maximum-security prison; his lawyer said he would appeal to the Supreme Court
- Husainul Risvi Khalid SameerConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Kachchi Mohamed JesminConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Mahinda KahandagamaIn custody
- Remanded by the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court until 26 October 2026 after an arrest on drug trafficking charges following a raid based on an investigation by the Colombo Central Crimes Investigation Division; another person arrested with him was fined Rs. 15,000; no verdict reported
- Mahindananda AluthgamageConvictedIn custody
- Moved to the general wards of Welikada Prison on 30 May 2025; bail pending appeal refused on 7 November 2025; Supreme Court judgment on his appeal awaited as of 11 March 2026; no release reported
- Mohamed Haniffa Zainul AbdeenConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Mohamed Ibrahim Sadiq AbdullahConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Mohamed Ibrahim Shahid Abdul HaqConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Mohamed Mansoor Mohamed SanasdeenConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Mohamed Mustapha Mohamed HarisConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Mohamed NaufarConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First. Sentenced to a further 12 years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Wanathawilluwa explosives case on 26 October 2026
- Mohamed Rameez Mohamed SajidConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First
- Mohamed Saribu Adham LebbeConvictedIn custody
- Convicted on 22 September 2026; the 15 convicts were escorted back to prison on 23 September 2026, as reported by News First. Ada Derana and Newswire report that a defendant with the same alias, spelt Mohamed Shareef Adam Lebbe, aged 63, pleaded guilty to five charges in the Wanathawilluwa explosives case and was sentenced on 28 October 2026 to 12 years’ rigorous imprisonment, running concurrently, with about seven and a half years in remand deducted
- Nalin FernandoConvictedIn custody
- Moved to the general wards of Welikada Prison on 30 May 2025; bail pending appeal refused on 7 November 2025; Supreme Court judgment on his appeal awaited as of 11 March 2026; no release reported
- Namal RajapaksaIn custody
- Acquitted in the Gowers case (2023); Krrish case pending; arrested 4 September 2026 in an Airbus bribery inquiry; bailed in a related money laundering investigation on 30 September 2026 but held in remand in the bribery matters, further remanded until 27 October 2026 in the Airbus matter as reported on 13 October 2026; on 16 October 2026 he was further remanded until 23 October in the Krrish bribery inquiry, and on 23 October 2026 the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court further remanded him until 6 November; on 14 October 2026 the CID told the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court its money laundering investigation was complete and indictments would be filed in a higher court; on 27 October 2026 the Bribery Commission’s counsel told the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that an indictment of 24 charges against him and three others over the Airbus transaction had been filed before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar, and on 28 October 2026 that court ordered him produced on 19 November; the same day the Chief Magistrate fixed 3 November for the order on his bail application in the Krrish bribery case; on 3 November 2026 the Chief Magistrate granted bail in the Krrish bribery case on cash bail of Rs. 100,000 and three personal sureties of Rs. 5 million each with an overseas travel ban, but he was returned to prison because the Trial-at-Bar had ordered him produced on 19 November in the Airbus case; no conviction reported
- Pillayan (Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan)In custody
- Arrested 8 April 2025; remanded in April 2026; in remand until 27 October 2026 in a case over five killings in Batticaloa in 2008; no verdict reported
- Pujith JayasundaraConvictedIn custody
- Sentenced to death on 31 July 2026; reported by AFP on 1 August 2026 to be held in a maximum-security prison; his lawyer said he would appeal to the Supreme Court
- Rohitha BogollagamaIn custody
- Arrested 7 October 2026 on a warrant and remanded until the end of his trial; case to be recalled 29 October 2026; no verdict reported
- Sampath ManamperiIn custody
- Surrendered to the Walasmulla Magistrate’s Court on 17 September 2025 and remanded; in remand custody as of 24 April 2026; on 3 November 2026 he was produced in the Colombo High Court, which fixed 13 November for its verdict in a separate 2009 rice lorry robbery case; no verdict reported
- Sarana GunawardenaConvictedIn custody
- Escorted to prison after sentencing on 9 June 2026, according to Ada Derana; filed four appeals in the Court of Appeal, reported 1 July 2026; no release reported. On 20 October 2026 his wife and another suspect were remanded until 30 October in the Bribery Commission’s inquiry into an alleged bribe offered over his sentence
- Sugeeshwara BandaraIn custody
- Further remanded until 11 November 2026 by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on 28 October 2026, accused of receiving two salaries from the President’s expenditure head; no verdict reported
- Suresh SallayIn custody
- Arrested 25 February 2026; detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act as of 6 October 2026. His Court of Appeal case challenging the arrest and detention is pending; on 22 October 2026 the court dismissed 13 petitions to intervene, and its decision on whether to grant leave to proceed is due on 27 November; Arrested 25 February 2026; detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act as of 6 October 2026. His Court of Appeal case challenging the arrest and detention is pending; on 14 October 2026 the court postponed its order on petitions to intervene to 22 October