Erik Solheim, former Norwegian special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, has raised serious concerns over the arrest of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and called for his immediate release.
In a post on ‘X’, Solheim joined a chorus of regional and international leaders demanding Wickremesinghe’s freedom, expressing concerns about the former president’s health during detention.
“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 said.
He praised Wickremesinghe’s leadership during Sri Lanka’s 2022 crisis, describing him as “the leader who stood up to save Sri Lanka when the nation reached rock bottom of economic and political disaster.”
Addressing the charges against Wickremesinghe, Solheim dismissed them as baseless, adding, “Even if they were true, they will not constitute any criminal or even unacceptable behaviour in Europe.”
While reiterating his support for the Sri Lankan government’s anti-corruption efforts, Solheim urged the government to focus on substantive issues rather than politically motivated cases.
Please urgently release Ranil Wickremesinghe!
— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) August 24, 2025
I join the many leaders in Sri Lanka, South Asia and around the world calling for the immediate release of Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. We are all concerned for his health during detention.
Ranil was the… pic.twitter.com/Oolqejxb0X
Leave a comment