Sri Lanka's Attorney General has decided not to indict former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in connection with the violent attack on peaceful anti-government protesters at GotaGoGama, Galle Face, on 9 May 2022. The decision marks a significant legal development in one of the most controversial episodes of political violence witnessed during the country's historic Aragalaya uprising. While the former president escapes prosecution, 31 other individuals — including a number of prominent politicians — now face a combined total of 327 charges stemming from the brutal assault on demonstrators who had gathered at the iconic protest site.
The GotaGoGama Attack: What Happened on May 9, 2022
The 9 May 2022 attack on GotaGoGama remains one of the darkest chapters of Sri Lanka's 2022 political crisis. As the country reeled under a devastating economic collapse marked by fuel shortages, power cuts, and skyrocketing inflation, thousands of citizens had taken to the streets demanding the resignation of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government. GotaGoGama, the protest village established near Galle Face Green in Colombo, became the symbolic heart of the Aragalaya — a Sinhalese word meaning "struggle."
On that fateful day, supporters allegedly mobilized by ruling party politicians descended on the peaceful protest site and launched a violent assault on demonstrators. The attack shocked the nation and drew widespread international condemnation. Footage of the violence spread rapidly across social media, intensifying public outrage and ultimately accelerating the political downfall of the Rajapaksa administration. Within weeks, Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and resigned from the presidency.
AG's Decision Not to Indict Mahinda Rajapaksa
According to reports from the Sunday Times, Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe concluded that the evidence presented by investigators was insufficient to support an indictment against Mahinda Rajapaksa, the former Prime Minister and elder brother of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The AG's office reportedly determined that the available evidence did not meet the legal threshold required to bring formal charges against the former president in a court of law.
The decision has sparked significant debate among legal experts, civil society groups, and victims of the attack who had hoped that accountability would extend to the highest levels of political leadership. Critics argue that the ruling sends a troubling message about the ability of Sri Lanka's justice system to hold powerful political figures accountable for acts of violence carried out by their supporters. Supporters of the decision, however, maintain that prosecutions must be grounded in solid, admissible evidence rather than political pressure or public sentiment.
31 Accused Face 327 Charges
While Mahinda Rajapaksa will not face indictment, the Attorney General's office has moved forward with charges against 31 individuals who are alleged to have played direct roles in the attack. These accused include a number of politicians as well as other individuals connected to the violence. The 327 charges filed against them reflect the scale and severity of the assault, covering a range of offenses related to the organized attack on unarmed protesters.
Legal proceedings against the accused are expected to be closely watched by human rights organizations, political observers, and the general public. For many Sri Lankans, the outcome of these trials will serve as a critical test of whether the country's judicial institutions can deliver meaningful justice for victims of politically motivated violence — regardless of the connections or influence of those involved.
Broader Implications for Accountability in Sri Lanka
The AG's decision not to pursue charges against Mahinda Rajapaksa reignites longstanding questions about political accountability in Sri Lanka. The Aragalaya movement was fueled in large part by widespread frustration over years of alleged corruption, economic mismanagement, and a perceived culture of impunity enjoyed by the country's political elite. For many protesters and activists, the movement represented a demand not just for economic relief, but for a fundamental transformation of governance and the rule of law.
Civil society organizations have called on the government to ensure that the ongoing prosecutions against the 31 accused are conducted transparently and without political interference. They emphasize that genuine accountability is essential not only for justice for the victims of the GotaGoGama attack, but also for rebuilding public trust in democratic institutions that were severely shaken during the crisis of 2022.
What Comes Next
As legal proceedings against the 31 accused move forward, attention will remain firmly fixed on how Sri Lanka's courts handle this landmark case. The trials are expected to shed further light on the planning and execution of the May 9 attack, potentially revealing new details about the chain of command and the roles played by various political actors. For a country still navigating its path toward economic recovery and political stability, how justice is served in this case will carry enormous symbolic and practical weight for years to come.