COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan court has sentenced controversial Buddhist monk Galagodaatte Gnanasara to nine months in prison for inciting religious hatred and insulting Islam. The charges stem from remarks he made in 2016, which were deemed to have spread hatred against Muslims.
According to the AFP news agency, the court’s decision on Thursday marks the second time Gnanasara, who holds significant political influence, has been jailed for stoking religious tensions. He was previously incarcerated in 2020 for similar offenses related to inciting hate against Sri Lanka’s Muslim minority. However, after appealing his four-year sentence, he was released on bail.
Gnanasara, a prominent figure within the Buddhist clergy, was a close ally of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who appointed him as the head of a panel on legal reforms for religious harmony in 2021. This appointment was heavily criticized by opposition members.
In 2018, Gnanasara was sentenced to six years in prison for contempt of court, though he was released after serving only nine months when he received a pardon from former President Maithripala Sirisena.
Gnanasara’s legal battles have resurfaced following the political upheaval caused by Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis, which led to the fall of the Rajapaksa government. His latest conviction comes amidst renewed efforts to hold him accountable for his inflammatory rhetoric.
