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CID summons former president over attack on journalist

Sri Lanka's CID has summoned the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa over the abduction and assault of the associate editor of The Nation, Keith Noyahr in May 2008. 

Mr Rajapaksa has been summoned to the CID office on August 17 to record a statement. 

The summons was delivered to his official residence on Sunday by the Organized Crimes Investigation Unit. 

Mr Noyahr was beaten after writing an article criticising the then army commander, General Sarath Fonseka and his colleagues.

In an interview published on the Sri Lankan defence ministry website in 2008, when asked whether Mr Noyahr was tight-lipped and fearing reprisal attacks, Mr Fonseka replied, "If he has not done anything wrong, he does not have to live in fear."

"If he has done some damage to our organisation or to a person, especially when he has done something which he is not suppose to do, then it is natural he must be living in fear. If they think that they have done something of that nature the best thing for them is to correct themselves and rectify the mistake," he added. 
 

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