A Sri Lankan court has sentenced a Buddhist monk to nine months in prison for insulting Islam. He was close to ousted Prime Minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a popular uprising. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Thursday (January 9, 2025) handed down the verdict against Buddhist monk Galagodatte Nanasara in a 2016 blasphemy case.
He will also have to pay a fine of 1,500 Sri Lankan rupees. Galagodatte has appealed against the verdict. He was convicted in the case in December last year. The sentencing of Buddhist monks is not common in Sri Lanka.
Galagodatte Enye, a Buddhist monk who was criticized for his anti-Muslim rhetoric and inciting communal hatred, was sentenced to a second prison term. The Buddhist monk, who had been serving a six-year sentence for religious incitement, was released by then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019 through an executive order. Source- bvnews24
