Defamatory comments offered rigorous imprisonment to a leading Buddhist Monk

The Colombo High Court on Tuesday, 02nd April rejected the bail application filed by the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS)  Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, who was handed a 4-year rigorous imprisonment on the 28th of March.

High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige conveyed the decision when the bail application put forward by the defense attorneys requesting the court to release their client on bail was taken up before the court on Tuesday morning.

On March 28, Judge Patabendige sentenced the BBS General Secretary to four years of rigorous imprisonment for the defamatory comments made against Islam in late 2016.

Issuing the sentence, Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige also imposed a fine of Rs. 100,000 on the Buddhist monk.

The verdict was issued after Ven. Gnanasara Thero was found guilty of the two indictments that had been filed by the Attorney General.

The judge had found the monk guilty of the two indictments filed by the Attorney General under the Penal Code. Accordingly, the accused was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment for each indictment and was imposed two fines of Rs. 50,000 each. He also ordered that the two sentences be served separately.

A case was filed against Ven. Gnanasara Thero for having caused harm to national and religious harmony via his statement on the Kuragala Buddhist Temple made during a press briefing in Colombo in 2016.

In February this year, Ven. Gnanasara Thero apologized to the Muslim community for having caused distress over controversial remarks he had made linked to the Kuragala Temple.

During a recent court proceeding, Ven. Gnanasara Thero extended his apologies to the Muslim community over his statement made eight years ago.

The case had been filed based on a complaint filed by former MPs Mujibur Rahman and Azath Salley.

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