Sri Lankan Monk Sentenced for Insulting Islam

Galagodaatte Gnanasara, a hardline Sri Lankan monk and ally of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has been sentenced to nine months in prison for insulting Islam and inciting religious hatred, BBC reported yesterday. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court convicted him for derogatory remarks made during a 2016 media conference.

This marks the second time Gnanasara has been jailed; he previously received a presidential pardon in 2019 for a six-year sentence related to intimidation and contempt of court. The court emphasized that all citizens, regardless of religion, are entitled to freedom of belief as per the Constitution.

In addition to the prison sentence, Gnanasara was fined 1,500 Sri Lankan rupees ($5). He has filed an appeal against the sentence, but his request for bail during the appeal was denied. Known for his nationalist views, Gnanasara has faced multiple accusations of hate crimes and anti-Muslim violence, reflecting ongoing tensions in Sri Lanka’s religious landscape.