AUSTRALIAN federal MP Lee Rhiannon is safely on a plane bound for Sydney after Sri Lankan authorities detained and interrogated her for hours, her office says.
The Greens senator for NSW was preparing to host a press conference with New Zealand MP Jan Logie on Sunday morning at their Colombo hotel when the pair had their passports seized by immigration officials.
Sunday was the final day of a four-day fact-finding trip to Sri Lanka ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The two MPs said they were investigating alleged human rights abuses and press freedom in the island nation.
"Abuses so serious that #SriLanka must not host #CHOGM," Senator Rhiannon wrote on her Twitter page on Sunday, shortly before the scheduled press conference.
The next message came three hours later: "Lee has asked us to pass a message on to her followers: She has had her passport confiscated by Sri Lankan Immigration Officials".
She was later released and allowed to board a flight back to Australia.
The Greens say the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Sri Lankan were both notified ahead of Senator Rhiannon's trip.
A DFAT spokeswoman was unable to confirm this, saying only: "The department is aware that Senator Rhiannon was questioned at her Colombo hotel earlier today by Sri Lankan immigration authorities.
"Senator Rhiannon did not request consular support."
Senator Rhiannon has denied claims by Sri Lankan officials that her planned press conference was in violation of her visa, telling Fairfax Media she had been advised to obtain the "special projects" class tourist visa.
The incident comes just over a week after two Australian press freedom advocates were also detained by Sri Lankan officials and accused of violating their visa conditions.
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia-Pacific director Jacqui Park and her deputy Jane Worthington arrived home last Saturday after two harrowing days of interrogation.
The Sri Lankan government took issue with the Australian duo participating in a press freedom event when they were in the country on tourist visas.
Senator Rhiannon is expected to touch down in Sydney at 9.15am (AEDT) on Monday.
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