Prominent Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Galagodaatte Gnanasara, known for his close ties to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was sentenced to nine months in prison on Thursday for making derogatory remarks about Islam and inciting religious hatred. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court convicted Gnanasara for comments made during a 2016 press conference, marking a rare instance of a Buddhist monk being prosecuted in Sri Lanka.
This is not the first time Gnanasara, often accused of hate speech and anti-Muslim violence, has faced imprisonment. In 2019, he was controversially pardoned by then-President Maithripala Sirisena after serving nine months of a six-year sentence for contempt of court and intimidation.
Gnanasara was arrested again in December 2023 for inflammatory remarks and fined 1,500 Sri Lankan rupees (£4), with the court ruling that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional month of imprisonment.
The court emphasized Sri Lanka’s constitutional guarantee of religious freedom, affirming the rights of all citizens to practice their beliefs without discrimination. While Gnanasara has appealed the verdict, his request for bail pending appeal was denied.
Gnanasara’s association with former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been a point of controversy. During Rajapaksa’s presidency, he was appointed to lead a presidential task force on religious harmony—a role at odds with his history of inflammatory rhetoric. Rajapaksa resigned in 2022 following widespread protests over Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.
Gnanasara’s legal troubles date back years. In 2018, he was convicted for intimidating the wife of a missing political cartoonist. Last year, he faced a four-year sentence for similar hate speech charges targeting Sri Lanka’s Muslim minority but was released on bail while appealing the case.
The conviction highlights Sri Lanka’s ongoing challenges with religious tolerance and the enforcement of laws against incitement. While the ruling sets a precedent, it also underscores the complex interplay of politics, religion, and justice in the island nation.
