Case against MP Wimal Weerawansa postponed

Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today ordered the case filed against six individuals, including Member of Parliament Wimal Weerawansa, to be recalled for further hearing of evidence on the 13th of next July. The case involves allegations of causing a public nuisance by blocking the road in front of the United Nations office in Colombo in protest against the visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Al Hussein to Sri Lanka in 2016.

The Cinnamon Gardens Police filed this case against conducting a protest that blocked the roads in front of the United Nations office located in the Thummulla area, Colombo, protesting the global Human Rights Commissioner's visit to Sri Lanka on 6 February 2016.

The defendants in this case, former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, Weerakumara Dissanayake, Jayantha Samaraweera, Roger Seneviratne, and Piyasiri Wijenayake, appeared before the court today.

Inspector of Police Indika, a witness in the case, previously gave evidence before the court stating that a crowd of nearly 600 people, including the suspects, engaged in this protest, blocking the highway in a manner that obstructed the public and vehicular traffic.

Accordingly, the further hearing of evidence stood postponed until 13 July.