Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), has been sentenced to nine months of imprisonment by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. The sentence was handed down for insulting the religion of Islam.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena also imposed a fine of Rs. 1,500 in addition to the prison term.

The case stemmed from a statement made by Gnanasara Thera on 16 July 2016, during a press conference in Kirulapone. The police filed the case against him under Section 291 of the Penal Code, alleging that his remarks disrupted harmony between communities by promoting religious discord.