The Colombo High Court today (23) dismissed the appeal filed by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero against a prison sentence handed down by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, thereby affirming the conviction and sentence imposed by the lower court.
Colombo High Court Judge Manjula Thilakaratne delivered the judgment, rejecting the appeal petition in which Gnanasara Thero had sought to overturn the conviction and secure his acquittal and release.
The case stemmed from statements made by Gnanasara Thero that prosecutors argued were insulting to Islam and detrimental to ethnic and religious reconciliation. Police filed charges under provisions of the Penal Code relating to the promotion of hostility and actions deemed harmful to communal harmony.
Following a prolonged trial, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court found Gnanasara Thero guilty and sentenced him to nine months’ imprisonment. With the dismissal of the appeal today, the sentence remains in force.
Gnanasara Thero, a prominent Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist monk and the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena organisation, has been a controversial figure in Sri Lanka’s public and political landscape for more than a decade. He has frequently been accused by critics and human rights groups of making inflammatory statements against religious minorities, particularly Muslims. Supporters, however, maintain that he has been advocating for the protection of Buddhist interests and national identity.
This is not the first time Gnanasara Thero has faced legal action. In 2018, the Court of Appeal sentenced him to prison for contempt of court over an incident at the Homagama Magistrate’s Court, although he was later granted a presidential pardon in 2019. Over the years, he has also been involved in several high-profile controversies relating to ethnic and religious tensions in the country.
Today’s High Court ruling marks another significant legal setback for the outspoken monk, reinforcing the original conviction and underscoring the judiciary’s stance on speech deemed to undermine inter-religious harmony and reconciliation.