Court orders Gnanasara thera to serve remaining prison term

The Court of Appeal today (October 5) ordered the enforcement of the remaining prison sentence imposed on Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera over his contempt of court conviction.

Gnanasara Thera, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), was produced before the Court of Appeal today by prison officials after open warrants had been issued for his arrest.

After considering the submissions made before the court, the bench directed the Commissioner General of Prisons to take the necessary steps to enforce the remaining period of his prison sentence.

Gnanasara Thera was arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) at the Thiniyawala Aranya Senasanaya in Kalutara on October 3, 2026.

Sri Lanka Police said he was arrested in accordance with a court warrant directing that he be taken into custody and produced before the court.

The Court of Appeal had issued the warrant after Gnanasara Thera failed to appear before the court in proceedings connected to the enforcement of his prison sentence following the cancellation of his presidential pardon. The warrant had been ordered to be executed through the Inspector General of Police.

The contempt of court case arose from Gnanasara Thera’s conduct at the Homagama Magistrate’s Court on January 25, 2016, during a hearing into the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

During the hearing, he addressed the court without permission, disrupted the proceedings and attempted to intimidate the magistrate and a State Counsel.

On August 8, 2018, the Court of Appeal found Gnanasara Thera guilty of four counts of contempt of court.

He was sentenced to four years, four years, six years and five years of rigorous imprisonment on the four counts, amounting to a total of 19 years.

However, the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning they were to be served at the same time. As a result, his effective prison term was six years.

Gnanasara Thera was later released from prison on May 23, 2019, after then-President Maithripala Sirisena granted him a presidential pardon.

On September 10, 2026, the Supreme Court declared the presidential pardon invalid after considering fundamental rights petitions filed by several parties, including Sandya Eknaligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

Following the Supreme Court ruling, proceedings were initiated to enforce the remaining period of Gnanasara Thera’s prison sentence.

Separately, the Colombo High Court issued another arrest warrant for Gnanasara Thera on September 30, 2026, after he failed to appear before the court in a case over an alleged statement insulting Islam.

On October 1, 2026, the Court of Appeal issued an open warrant for his arrest after he again failed to appear before the court in proceedings relating to his contempt of court conviction.