Gnanasara Thera granted bail 

Colombo High Court has granted bail to Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, who was sentenced to nine months in prison for making defamatory remarks about Islam.

The decision came after a revision petition was filed by his attorneys, seeking bail pending the appeal against his sentence.

On January 9, 2025, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court sentenced Gnanasara Thero to nine months of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 1,500 under Section 291 of the Penal Code. The case stemmed from his statement, “Islam is a cancer… it must be eradicated,” made during a press conference in Kirulapone on July 16, 2016.

In 2024, the Colombo High Court had also sentenced the monk to four years of rigorous imprisonment over comments related to the Kuragala Buddhist Temple, which were deemed harmful to national and religious harmony.

Gnanasara Thero was granted bail today (25) after his appeal against the latest sentence was taken up for hearing.