The Colombo High Court on Monday upheld the prison sentence imposed on Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, rejecting an appeal filed by the monk seeking to overturn the conviction and secure his acquittal.
The ruling was delivered by Colombo High Court Judge Manjula Thilakaratne, who dismissed the appeal challenging the lower court’s verdict.
The case had been filed by police under provisions of the Penal Code, alleging that Gnanasara Thera made statements insulting Islam and acted in a manner that undermined ethnic and religious harmony.
Following a lengthy trial, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court found the monk guilty of the charges and imposed a prison sentence. The High Court’s decision effectively affirmed both the conviction and the sentence handed down by the Magistrate’s Court.
