Sri Lanka monk found guilty of intimidation

colombo — A court here on Thursday found a radical Buddhist monk guilty of criminal intimidation, the first time the notorious extremist has faced the prospect of jail.

Galagodaatte Gnanasara, who has been accused of hate crimes against Muslims, was convicted of two counts of harassing and intimidating a woman whose husband was abducted in 2010 by state forces.

A magistrate in Homagama town released the firebrand monk on bail pending his sentencing on June 14. Each count carries a maximum jail term of two years and an unspecified fine, or both.

The court held that Gnanasar used abusive language and insulted Sandya Eknaligoda, whose cartoonist husband was abducted by military intelligence in 2010.

Eknaligoda has campaigned to find out what happened to her husband, whose cartoons lampooned former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse.

Several members of military intelligence were arrested in connection with his disappearance but all have since been released on bail.

Gnanasar had accused Eknaligoda of supporting Tamil extremists and bringing the military into disrepute.

“This is not a personal victory for me, but a vindication for many thousands who had suffered as a result of this monk’s behaviour,” Eknaligoda said.

Eknaligoda’s perseverance earned her an “Internal Women of Courage” award last year from US first lady Melania Trump. —