A Sri Lankan court has sentenced prominent Buddhist monk Galagodaatte Gnanasara to nine months in prison for making inflammatory remarks about Islam and fueling religious animosity.
The charges stem from 2016 when Gnanasara, known for his outspoken views, insulted the country’s Muslim minority. This marks the second time he has been imprisoned for similar offenses.
In 2020, Gnanasara faced conviction for derogatory comments against Muslims, who make up over 10% of Sri Lanka’s 22 million population. He was granted bail while appealing a four-year sentence.
A close ally of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Gnanasara was named head of a 2021 panel tasked with promoting religious harmony through legal reforms. His appointment, however, faced criticism, with opposition lawmaker Shanakiyan Rasamanickam calling it “ironic.”
In 2018, Gnanasara was sentenced to six years for intimidating the wife of a missing cartoonist and contempt of court. He served just nine months before receiving a presidential pardon under then-President Maithripala Sirisena.
Following Rajapaksa’s resignation in 2022 amid protests over Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, Gnanasara’s political power diminished, and he again found himself facing legal consequences.
This recent conviction underscores the persistent religious and ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka.
