The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court has temporarily lifted the overseas travel ban imposed on Pastor Jerome Fernando. This decision came during the hearing of the case against Fernando on March 3.
A request was made to the court citing the defendant's need to travel to multiple foreign countries. After considering the presented facts, the court lifted the foreign travel ban temporarily, subject to previous bail conditions.
Previously, the court had imposed the overseas travel ban on Pastor Jerome Fernando in connection with a case filed against him for allegedly making derogatory statements about other religions in May last year.
Pastor Jerome Fernando gained notoriety after a video of one of his sermons containing alleged derogatory statements on other religions went viral on social media. He was arrested on December 1, 2023, and returned to the island on November 29, following a court order.
After providing a statement to the CID on November 30, as mandated by the Court of Appeal's interim order, Fernando was granted bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on January 3, 2024. However, he was restricted from leaving the country and was warned against making statements that could disrupt religious harmony in the future.
