Swiss journalist told to leave Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan government has withdrawn the visa of a Swiss radio correspondent and ordered her to leave the country by February 1.
Karin Wenger, who is based in the Indian capital, New Delhi, said on Friday that the Sri Lankan immigration service had cancelled her accreditation, which was originally valid until February 17.
A spokesman for the radio said no reasons had been given for the expulsion.
Wenger had been in Sri Lanka to cover Tuesday’s presidential elections.
“I think I am being expelled for asking inconvenient questions during a government press conference,” she told the AFP news agency.
A government minister had publicly criticised her for asking about irregularities in the poll, which was won comfortably by the incumbent, Mahinda Rajapakse.
The results have been contested by Rajapakse’s main rival and have been questioned by human rights activists.
Wenger, 30, joined the German-language service of Swiss public radio in 2009 with extensive experience reporting from the Middle East.
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