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Sri Lankan Court Remands Buddhist Monk After Presidential Pardon Reversal
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News18•04-10-2026, 17:15
Sri Lankan Court Remands Buddhist Monk After Presidential Pardon Reversal
- •Buddhist monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara was remanded by a Sri Lankan court after his arrest following weeks in hiding.
- •The arrest comes nearly a month after the Supreme Court overturned his 2019 presidential pardon, deeming it unlawful.
- •Gnanasara, a prominent Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist and leader of Bodu Bala Sena, was convicted in 2018 for contempt of court and criminal intimidation.
- •The Supreme Court's September 10 ruling reinstated his original six-year jail term, requiring him to serve the remainder.
- •Gnanasara is known for his hardline Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism and his organization has been accused of targeting the country's Muslim minority.
Key Questions Answered
Buddhist monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara was remanded following his arrest after weeks in hiding, nearly a month after the Supreme Court overturned the presidential pardon that had previously freed him.
In 2018, the monk was convicted of contempt of court and criminal intimidation against Sandya Eknaligoda, the wife of missing political cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda.
Former president Maithripala Sirisena granted Gnanasara a pardon in May 2019, but the Supreme Court reversed the decision on September 10, restoring his original six-year sentence.
