The editor of the Sri Lankan news website Lanka e News has been arrested by police shortly after returning to the island having fled almost 16 years ago.
Sandaruwan Senadheera, a Sinhala journalist, was arrested on Tuesday at Bandaranaike International Airport shortly after landing in Sri Lanka.
Authorities confirmed that he is currently being held at the Katunayake Police Station.
Police said the arrest was carried out in connection with an ongoing court case in which Senadheera has been named as a suspect. Officials have not yet disclosed further details about the nature of the case.
Senadheera had been living in the United Kingdom after fleeing Sri Lanka in 2010, during a period marked by growing threats against journalists and media institutions.
His departure came following the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda in 2010 and an arson attack on the offices of Lanka e News. At the time, Senadheera cited fears for his personal safety and later received political asylum in Britain.
Over the past decade, the Lanka e News website has continued to operate from abroad, frequently publishing critical commentary on Sri Lankan politics.
During Sri Lanka’s most recent presidential and parliamentary election campaigns, Lanka e News and its editor were widely viewed as providing strong ideological support to the National People’s Power (NPP) political alliance.
No official statement has yet been issued by authorities regarding possible legal proceedings or whether Senadheera will be produced before court.