The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested two suspects in connection with the 2008 abduction and assault of journalist Keith Noyahr. The arrested suspects are linked with military intelligence.
Noyahr, the associate editor of The Nation, was known for his critical analyses of Sri Lanka’s security situation in his column Military Matters. He was abducted in a white van and assaulted on 22 May 2008, before being released following an alleged series of high-level telephone calls on the night of his abduction.
Fearing for his safety, Noyahr fled the country with his family. For years, the investigation saw no progress. However, after the election of the Good Governance Government in 2015, the case was reopened. In 2017, five officers from military intelligence were arrested in connection with the case, remanded, and later released on bail, but no charges were filed. The CID investigation led to the discovery of a safehouse in Dompe, where Noyahr was tortured. The facility was confirmed to be a covert military intelligence site operated by Major Prabath Bulathwatte and the Military Intelligence Directorate
