Gnanasara Thera ordered to serve remaining prison term

The Court of Appeal has ordered the enforcement of the remaining prison sentence for Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS). The order follows his arrest by the Colombo Crimes Division on October 3, 2026, after open warrants were issued for his failure to appear in court.

The conviction stems from a 2016 incident at the Homagama Magistrate's Court during a hearing regarding the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda. Gnanasara Thera was found guilty of four counts of contempt of court for disrupting proceedings and attempting to intimidate the magistrate and State Counsel.

In 2018, he was sentenced to a total of 19 years of rigorous imprisonment, to be served concurrently. Although he initially served seven months before receiving a presidential pardon, the Court of Appeal has now directed the Commissioner General of Prisons to implement the remaining five years and five months of his sentence.