The Court of Appeal today, 5 October, ordered the immediate enforcement of the remaining period of the six-year prison sentence imposed on Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero for contempt of court.
The order follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling on 10 September 2026 declaring unlawful the presidential pardon granted to Gnanasara Thero by former President Maithripala Sirisena in May 2019. on contempt of court charges arising from his conduct at the Homagama Magistrate’s Court in January 2016, during proceedings concerning the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda. He was sentenced to a total of 19 years’ rigorous imprisonment, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective prison term of six years.
However, after serving part of the sentence, Gnanasara Thero was released following a presidential pardon granted by then President Maithripala Sirisena on 23 May 2019. The pardon was subsequently challenged through fundamental rights petitions before the Supreme Court, which ruled on 10 September 2026 that it was unlawful.
Following the Supreme Court decision, proceedings were initiated before the Court of Appeal to enforce the outstanding prison sentence. When Gnanasara Thero failed to appear before the court on 29 September, a warrant was issued for his arrest. An open warrant and a foreign travel ban were subsequently imposed.
Police arrested Gnanasara Thero on 3 October at an Aranya Senasanaya, or forest monastery, in the Thiniyawala area of Kalutara. He was subsequently produced before the Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court and remanded until today.
When he was produced before the Court of Appeal by prison officials today, the court considered submissions on his behalf before directing the Commissioner General of Prisons to take the necessary steps to enforce the remaining period of his sentence.
According to your original report, counsel for Gnanasara Thero told the court that the monk had gone to the forest monastery on the advice of senior monks because of his poor health, rather than with the intention of evading court. Counsel also maintained that he had been unable to contact his lawyers because of poor telephone reception at the location.
The defence further sought permission for Gnanasara Thero to address the court briefly, but, according to your account of today’s proceedings, the request was refused.
The Court of Appeal nevertheless ordered that the outstanding portion of the prison sentence be implemented immediately. Published reports confirm that prison authorities had also been directed to produce Gnanasara Thero before the Colombo High Court on 6 October and the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on 7 October in connection with other proceedings.