UN hires a lawyer for its staff detained in Sri Lanka

The United Nations country team has hired a lawyer to represent the two UN staff members detained by Sri Lanka, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Michèle Montas said Wednesday.

In responding to a question from media at the press briefing, Ms. Montas said the two UN workers are still detained in Colombo.

"Well, I know that the UN Country Team has hired a lawyer who has visited them. And we can confirm that they are still detained in Colombo. And really, we have our lawyer working on that with them," she said.

Sri Lanka police arrested the two local UN staff members who served as drivers for the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS) and UNHCR in Vavuniya last month.