Swiss government criticises lack of due process
Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has criticised lack of due process in case against a local employee of the Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka.
“The FDFA expects the Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities to comply with national law and international judicial standards and to ensure that the employee’s rights are now better protected,” the FDFA said in a statement today.
“The FDFA has repeatedly called for due process to be followed. In particular, the FDFA has criticised the 30-hour interrogation to which the employee was subjected over three days despite being in poor health and the public statements by senior Sri Lankan officials questioning her account before the investigations had been completed.”
Full statement
An employee of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo has today been detained on the grounds that she allegedly made false statements. The FDFA is concerned about this development and calls on the Sri Lankan judicial authorities to ensure better protection of its employee’s personal rights in any further proceedings and compliance with national law and international standards. The FDFA and the Swiss Embassy in Colombo will continue to meet their responsibilities as an employer and do everything in their power to assist the member of staff concerned.
On 25 November 2019, the local employee of the Swiss Embassy reported that she had been abducted in Colombo to force her to disclose embassy-related information. Both the victim and the Swiss embassy cooperated fully with the Sri Lankan authorities during the proceedings. The FDFA has repeatedly called for due process to be followed. In particular, the FDFA has criticised the 30-hour interrogation to which the employee was subjected over three days despite being in poor health and the public statements by senior Sri Lankan officials questioning her account before the investigations had been completed.
Following the arrest of its employee, the FDFA expects the Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities to comply with national law and international judicial standards and to ensure that the employee’s rights are now better protected. As an employer, the FDFA calls on the Sri Lankan authorities to meet their obligations under applicable law and give due consideration to the employee’s poor state of health. Switzerland wishes to emphasise that in this high-profile case Sri Lanka’s reputation as a country that upholds the rule of law is at stake. The FDFA and the Swiss Embassy in Colombo will continue to support their employee as far as possible.
The FDFA has reiterated to the Sri Lankan authorities that it is seeking a common and constructive way forward to resolve the security incident. On 16 December 2019, the Swiss ambassador in Colombo emphasised this again in a face-to-face meeting with Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapakse.
(Courtesy: Daily Mirror)
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The Pariah State that was vanquished by the late Ven Maduluwewe Sobitha and Ranil Wickremasinghe in 2015 is now born again.
There goes the GSP+ and the EU trade concessions.
UNHRC sessions in Mar 2020 is likely to lead leaders of the Nation to the Hague.
Welcome to the new world, SB majority voters.
You forgot to add Viva Prabhakaran , Viva Zahara!
“Lack of due prcess” – my foot! Shame on you for bullying small Sri Lanka with this smelly ka-ka whereas you would never dream of pulling this smelly ka-ka with other ‘big’ Asian nations that will tell you to just flipping buzz-off and eat your holes-full swiss cheese! A bully is one who picks on the ‘smaller’ guys and not the ‘bigger’ and this is, shamefully, exactly what you are!
Wonderful words Simon,
Unfortunately, being beggards of the world, the GSP+ matters a lot to us.
By the way Simon, beggars in the streets of Colombo are gradually dissapearing?
Maybe, they are gradually reaching Nibbana under the auspices of the Gotler.