The Colombo Chief Magistrate issued a warrant for the arrest of Wimal Weerawansa

The Colombo Chief Magistrate today issued a warrant for the arrest of Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa for not being present in court in connection with a case filed against him by Cinnamon Gardens police. The Cinnamon Gardens police alleged that National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa and five others had provided leadership to a protest that blocked the main roads at Bauddhaloka Mawatha in 2016, causing disturbance to the people and the normal flow of traffic. Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa was not present before the court when the case came up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis. On February 6, 2016, the NFF staged a protest march against the visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. A further magisterial inquiry is fixed for September 11.