Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ruled that the presidential pardon granted to Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera by former President Maithripala Sirisena was invalid.
The ruling followed Fundamental Rights petitions filed by several parties, including Sandya Eknaligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.
Gnanasara Thera had previously been convicted of contempt of court by the Court of Appeal in 2018 and sentenced to six years' imprisonment.
He was later released after receiving a presidential pardon from then-President Sirisena.
The Supreme Court has now ruled that the pardon was invalid.
What this ruling concerns
The latest Supreme Court decision concerns the legality and validity of the presidential pardon.
It is not a new criminal conviction.