Sri Lankan authorities have arrested a Swiss embassy employee who was allegedly abducted and molested at gunpoint last month, according to the latest media reports from Colombo.
The woman, who the Sri Lankan government prevented from leaving to receive medical treatment in Switzerland, had been interviewed several times by Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department this week. She was also reported to have undergone a psychiatric examination.
Latest reports indicate that she has now been arrested, supposedly on charges of falsifying evidence.
See more from Ceylon Today here and News First here.
The New York Times reported the men "forced her to unlock her cellphone data, which contained information about Sri Lankans who have recently sought asylum in Switzerland, and the names of Sri Lankans who aided them as they fled the country because they feared for their safety after Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the presidency in elections this month". Before releasing her, they reportedly threatened to kill her if she told anyone of her ordeal.
The reported abduction has led to a major diplomatic spat between Switzerland and Sri Lanka.