The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has handed down a nine-month imprisonment to Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Organization, for making derogatory remarks against Islam. The sentence has been described as lenient.
In addition to the prison term, Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena imposed a fine of Rs. 1,500 while delivering the verdict.
The case was filed by the police under Section 291 of the Penal Code, which deals with actions that disrupt racial or religious harmony. The charges stemmed from a statement made by Gnanasara Thero during a media briefing in Kirulapone on July 16, 2016, where he referred to Islam as a “cancer” that “must be eradicated.
