ICRC security guard released

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 July 1999, 12:23 GMT]
The Batticaloa ICRC security guard who was arrested by the Sri Lanka Army last night was released this afternoon. The SLA arrested him at the Batticaloa delegation of the ICRC on suspicion that he was working for the Liberation Tigers.

Army sources said last night that the youth had a walkie-talkie in his possession at the time of arrest.

An ICRC spokesman said that the organisation's security personnel are normally issued with walkie-talkies.

Meanwhile fifteen Tamil youths arrested by the security forces on Saturday and Sunday in Batticaloa and its suburbs were produced in the courts today.

They were charged with failing to register themselves with the police.

The Additional District Judge, K.Thedchanamoorthy, told the accused that they would be released if they submitted proof of their registration with the police.

Accordingly, seven of the accused were released. The rest-eight accused were further detained by the Police.