Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero who was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment has been admitted to the Prison Hospital, Prisons Spokesman Gamini Dissanayake said.
The Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige handed down the sentence on Thursday (March 28), following Gnanasara Thero's defamatory comments against Islam made in late 2016.
It was reported that Gnanasara Thero had been undergoing medical treatment prior to his sentencing and was referred to the prison hospital for treatment.
Gnanasara Thero is accused of making defamatory comments against Islam during a 2016 media briefing convened on the Kuragala Buddhist monastery, causing damage to national and religious harmony.
The judge found the monk guilty of the two indictments filed by the Attorney General under the Penal Code. Accordingly, the accused was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment for each indictment and was imposed two fines of Rs. 50,000 each. He also ordered that the two sentences be served separately.
Gnanasara Thero’s prison sentence will be extended by two more years in the event of his failure to pay the fine.
