In Sri Lanka, police officers beat Catholic priest
Roman Catholic Church priest who suffered after police attack in Sri Lanka. Photo: Tribune Сhretienne
On January 24, 2026, in Gampaha district in Sri Lanka, six police officers beat a Catholic priest of the Roman Catholic Church. The victim was hospitalized, and all participants in the incident were subsequently taken into custody, reports Tribune Chretienne.
The incident involves 33-year-old Father Milan Priyadarshana, a priest of the Christian community, who was heading to a church service. According to his testimony, he was chased by police officers, then surrounded before being beaten, despite the fact that he identified himself as a clergyman.
The six officers involved belong to the operational motorcycle unit of the Criminal Investigation Department in the Gampaha division. They consist of three sergeants and three police officers. Brought before the Gampaha Magistrates' Court on Monday, January 26, they were remanded in custody until Thursday, January 29. Police authorities have also announced their administrative suspension. The police state that the incident occurred after the priest continued driving despite police orders.
The incident caused a resonance in the country's Christian community. During Father Milan Priyadarshana's hospitalization, he was visited by representatives of the RCC, and a silent solidarity action took place in the city of Negombo with the participation of priests and nuns.
The Catholic Church of Sri Lanka announced its intention to appeal to the Supreme Court with a petition for the protection of fundamental rights, emphasizing that an attack on a Christian priest by law enforcement representatives raises serious concerns regarding the situation of religious minorities and the state's obligation to ensure their safety.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that in Nigeria, Islamists killed 13 Christians.
Read also
Greece signs memorandum on protection of Jerusalem Patriarchate's shrines
Next week, the Greek Parliament will ratify a document on the protection of the cultural heritage of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
Greek bishop calls imposition of same-sex marriage a threat
Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera urged families to become a “domestic church” amid threats to the Christian family in Greek laws and school curricula.
Patriarch Bartholomew arrives in Budapest for opening of Orthodox center
The Ecumenical Patriarch has arrived in Hungary, where he will preside over the consecration of the Orthodox center "Phanarion."
OCU raiders stage attack on seized church in Kyiv, media
OCU "hierarch" Serhiy Horobtsov published a provocative post online regarding St. John's Church in Bykivnia seized by his people.