WUNRN
SRI LANKA MAID, RIZANA NAFEEK,
EXECUTED IN SAUDI ARABIA
9
January 2013 - Saudi Arabia has executed a Sri Lankan domestic worker for
killing a baby in her care in 2005, a foreign ministry official in Colombo, Sri
Lanka, has told the BBC.
The maid, Rizana Nafeek, had denied killing the four-month-old boy.
Her supporters say she was only 17 at the time of the killing. They say her execution is a breach of international child rights.
The Sri Lankan parliament held a minute's silence on Wednesday in honour of Ms Nafeek.
An MP who campaigns for Sri Lankan workers abroad, Ranjan Ramanayake, described the Saudi government as "dictators" who would never execute Europeans or Americans, only Asians and Africans.
The parents of Ms Nafeek had repeatedly appealed to King Abdullah to pardon her.
She was convicted in 2007 of murdering a four-month-old baby she was caring for in 2005.
Human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised the Saudi authorities for their handling of the case, as have campaigners in Sri Lanka, who argue that there were serious translation problems at the time she confessed to the crime.
They also argue that they she did not always have access to a lawyer, and that her reported execution breaches the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which Saudi Arabia has ratified.
There has been no comment so far from Saudi Arabia.
___________________________________________________________
----- Original Message -----
From: WUNRN
ListServe
To: WUNRN ListServe
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2013 11:46 AM
Subject: Saudi Arabia & Sri Lanka - Rizana Nafeek Imminent
Danger of Execution
WUNRN
BACKGROUND
ON CASE OF RIZANA NAFEEK
Asian
Human Rights Commission - June 2012
Rizana
Nafeek, a 17-year-old Sri Lanka girl from a poor family from a conflict
ridden area with a passport indicating her age as 18, arrived in Saudi Arabia
as a domestic helper. Within a short time, this young girl was
accused of the murder of an infant which she denied, claiming that the death
was the result of accidental choking. However, by the time the news reached the
outside world she had already been sentenced to death by beheading by a Saudi
court. She has now been in prison in Saudi Arabia since 2005, with many
efforts, diplomatic and human rights, to save her from execution.
Sri Lanka Guardian
SAUDI ARABIA & SRI LANKA -
IMMINENT DANGER OF EXECUTION OF RIZANA NAFEEK
January 7, 2013,
For several months now the Sri
Lankan government has been reporting that moves are underway for Rizana's
release and that this may happen at any time. However, it appears that these
announcements were made only to appease the strong expressions of concern by
the Sri Lankan and international community's who are calling for her release.
The government has not been able to conduct diplomatic negotiations with the
family on the deceased infant that has the power to grant pardon. Such pardon
is usually granted either on the payment of blood money or without such payment
by the generosity of the family.
Dr. Iftekhar told the BBC
Sinhala Service that there is still room for assisting Rizana Nafeek and saving
her life.
The Asian Human Rights
Commission has campaigned for Rizana's release since 2007 when her case was
brought to the notice of the world. A vast movement arose within
The Asian Human Rights
Commission once again calls upon everyone to intervene and write to the Saudi
authorities urging them to grant Rizana pardon.
We once again call upon the
president of