Erik Solheim Calls for Immediate Release of Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Former Norwegian peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim, has voiced strong concern over the arrest of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, urging authorities to release him without delay.

In a post shared on his official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account, Solheim appealed:

“Please urgently release Ranil Wickremesinghe! I join the many leaders in Sri Lanka, South Asia, and around the world calling for the immediate release of Sri Lanka’s former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. We are all concerned for his health during detention.”

Solheim also praised Wickremesinghe’s role during the 2022 economic and political crisis, saying:

“Ranil was the leader who stood up to save Sri Lanka when the nation reached rock bottom of economic and political disaster in 2022.”

He further claimed that the accusations against the former President lack merit. “Even if they were true, they will not constitute any criminal or even unacceptable behavior in Europe,” he said.

While reiterating his support for the Sri Lankan Government’s anti-corruption campaign, Solheim emphasized that attention should be directed towards genuine issues rather than what he called baseless accusations.

“I give full support to the Sri Lankan Government’s campaign against corruption, but please focus on real issues!” Solheim stressed.