Gnanasara Thera imprisonment sparks media condemnation and pardon disputes

Six media organizations in Sri Lanka have issued a joint statement condemning hate speech and defamatory campaigns targeting Sandhya Ekanayake. These campaigns follow the re-imprisonment of Gnanasara Thera, who was previously released under presidential pardon in 2019 but returned to prison after the High Court invalidated that pardon.

The media groups warned that the rhetoric blaming Ekanayake for Thera’s imprisonment poses a security threat to her and risks intensifying a culture of hatred in the country. Ekanayake has been campaigning for over 16 years regarding the disappearance of her husband, journalist Prajit Ekanayake.

Separately, Thikkagalle Anandasiri Thera, who is organizing a march to secure Thera’s release, stated that the President has indicated no pardon will be granted, even if a petition with one crore signatures is presented. The organizer noted that while the government has expressed interest in providing certain rehabilitative facilities within the prison, they have also requested the cessation of the protest movement.