Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena today rejected the bail application submitted on behalf of the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organization, Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero. 

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today sentenced the Gnanasara Thero, to 09 months imprisonment over his defamatory statement on the religion of Islam.

Although the Thero has filed an appeal against the sentence, his attorneys had requested bail pending the hearing of the appeal and the announcement of a final decision.

Gnanasara Thero filed an appeal against his nine-month prison sentence at the Colombo High Court through his attorneys, which was filed before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.

Attorney-at-Law Gamini Alwis, appearing on behalf of the Thero, presented facts requesting bail for his client pending the hearing of the appeal.

The attorney argued that it may take a considerable amount of time for the appeal to be heard, and therefore requested the Thero’s release on bail as a special case as the prison sentence is only for period of nine months.

In response, the Magistrate stated that special circumstances must be presented to consider a bail application of this nature. 

After reviewing the facts presented, the Magistrate concluded that no exceptional facts had been presented on behalf of the defendant. 

As a result, the Magistrate rejected the bail application, stating that the facts provided were not sufficient to warrant special consideration.