Nathasha Edirisooriya and Bruno Divakara Released from legal case

Stand-up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya and Bruno Divakara, the owner of the ‘SL VLOG’ YouTube channel, were released this morning (June 19) by the Fort Magistrate’s Court.

They were facing charges for allegedly making controversial statements about Buddhism.

Edirisooriya was arrested on May 28, 2023, following backlash for remarks she made during a stand-up comedy show at a prominent school in Colombo. These remarks were accused of insulting Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.

Her arrest took place at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake as she was preparing to depart the country, by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Bruno Divakara, the owner of the YouTube channel ‘SL VLOG’ where Edirisooriya’s video went viral, was also arrested on May 31, 2023. He was questioned for over 8 hours regarding the controversial video.

Divakara was granted bail on June 21, 2023, while Edirisooriya secured bail on July 5, 2023, after filing a petition with the Colombo High Court.