Sri Lanka, June 23 -- The Colombo High Court has upheld the nine-month prison sentence imposed on Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, rejecting his appeal for acquittal and release.

The ruling was delivered by High Court Judge Manjula Tilakaratne, who dismissed the appeal and confirmed the earlier verdict issued by the Colombo Magistrate's Court.

Gnanasara Thero was previously convicted for making statements deemed to have insulted Islam and disrupted communal harmony. The charges were filed by police under the Penal Code in relation to remarks made during a media briefing held in Kirulapone in 2016.

Following a full trial, the Magistrate's Court found him guilty and sentenced him to nine months...