The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has rejected the bail application filed by lawyers representing Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, upholding his nine-month prison sentence for making defamatory remarks about Islam.

Gnanasara Thera, the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), was sentenced to nine months of imprisonment by Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena, who also imposed a fine of Rs. 1,500.

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