Former Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim has blasted Sri Lanka’s handling of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s detention, sarcastically noting that the man once hailed as the nation’s savior is now punished over charges Europe wouldn’t even bother with.
Former Norwegian envoy and one-time special peace facilitator to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim, has urged authorities to immediately release former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who remains in remand custody amid growing health concerns.
In a post on social media platform X, Solheim said he joined “leaders in Sri Lanka, South Asia and around the world” in demanding Wickremesinghe’s release. He emphasized that Wickremesinghe was the leader who “stood up to save Sri Lanka” during the 2022 financial and political crisis, securing international lifelines when the country teetered on collapse.
Solheim ridiculed the charges leveled against Wickremesinghe, calling them “worthless.” He argued that even if they were true, such allegations would not qualify as crimes or unacceptable conduct in Europe. According to him, prosecuting Wickremesinghe under such flimsy grounds only highlights the absurdity of Sri Lanka’s current political climate.
Although Solheim has previously expressed support for Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption drive, he accused the authorities of focusing on trivialities instead of genuine reform. He said the state should “focus on the real issues” confronting the nation rather than punishing the man who helped stabilize it.
