The case against Wimal and six others was fixed for August 29.

A case filed against National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa and six other party activists for allegedly providing leadership to a protest which blocked the main roads at Bauddhaloka Mawatha, causing disturbance to the people and the normal flow of traffic was today fixed for trial by Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Nanda Amarasinghe fixed the case to be heard on August 29. The prosecution witness number one was not present in court and the police sought a further date for the trial.

On February 6, 2016, the NFF staged a protest march against the visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

Six suspects including NFF leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, Jayantha Samaraweera, Weerakumara Dissanayake, Piyasiri Wijenayake, Roger Seneviratne, Mohammed Muzammil and Don Lusian had been named as the suspects in the case. The seventh suspect Chaminda Jayalal was not present in Court.

In this case, the Cinnamon Gardens Police alleged that the suspects who organized the procession had failed to obtain prior permission from the police to organise the march. They further alleged that the organizers had also used loudspeakers without a valid license. Police had further submitted to Court that the suspects provided leadership to a protest which blocks the main road at Bauddhaloka Mawatha towards Havelock Town, causing disturbance to the people and the normal flow of traffic.