High Court upholds Gnanasara Thero’s 9-month prison term

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The Colombo High Court has upheld the nine-month prison sentence imposed on Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero for insulting Islam, while he has now appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva announced the High Court decision when the case was taken up before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (October 7).

Gnanasara Thero had appealed against the nine-month prison sentence imposed by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, but the Colombo High Court recently dismissed the appeal.

The case was taken up again today for the High Court’s ruling and the sentence to be read out. Gnanasara Thero, who is currently in prison, was produced before court by prison officers dressed in civilian clothing.

A team of lawyers led by President’s Counsel Anura Meddegoda, appearing for Gnanasara Thero, informed the court that an appeal has now been filed with the Supreme Court against the High Court decision.

The lawyers requested that no further steps be taken in the case until the Supreme Court delivers its decision.

President’s Counsel Meddegoda also strongly objected to Gnanasara Thero being produced before court in civilian clothing after his Buddhist robes had been removed.

He argued that Gnanasara Thero had not lost his status as a Buddhist monk and had not committed a Parajika offence that would result in the loss of monkhood. He also said chief prelates of Gnanasara Thero’s Nikaya had objected to the removal of his robes and referred to the constitutional provision on protecting and fostering Buddhism.

Following the submissions, the Magistrate postponed the reading of the sentence until February 25, 2027, pending the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal.

Gnanasara Thero was sentenced to nine months in prison after being found guilty in a case relating to comments made during a media briefing in Kirulapone in 2016 that were found to have insulted Islam.