Saudis prepare to behead teenage maid

According to the Saudi authorities, Rizana Nafeek admitted strangling the four-month-old boy while feeding him with a bottle.

But Nafeek, whose job was not meant to include child care, has denied making any such admission. She claims the child had begun to choke before losing consciousness in spite of her desperate efforts to clear his airway.

In 2005 there were 191 executions but that record could be surpassed this year as 102 have already taken place just over half way through the year. Last year the total dipped to 38 but this year's figure already includes three women, according to Amnesty International.

Nafeek, who had been denied a lawyer at her trial, is one of 5.6 million foreign workers who live in Saudi Arabia. The vast majority are domestic workers such as Nafeek, employed to look after the homes of oil-rich families.

According to the Sri Lankan government, Nafeek had only been in the country a few weeks when the incident happened in May 2005. A government delegation tried to fly to Saudi Arabia to organise her appeal but it was delayed because of visa problems.

Beheading has always been the punishment for murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and armed robbers in Saudi Arabia, which follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Amnesty International says some defendants are convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress, torture or deception.

Kate Allen, the director of Amnesty International UK, said: "It is an absolute scandal that Saudi Arabia is preparing to behead a teenage girl who didn't even have a lawyer at her trial. The Saudi authorities are flouting an international prohibition on the execution of child offenders by even imposing a death sentence on a defendant who was reportedly 17 at the time of the alleged crime."

All the international bodies should put pressure to saudi government not to behead the innocent Rizana Nafeek.


The Asian Human Rights Commission has so far received donations from two Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East who contributed US$ 1,000 and US$ 1,500 respectively. The AHRC also has an agreement from the Nona Foundation in the Netherlands for the payment of the equivalent of Rs. 600,000 which is approximately US$ 5,400.

We request any other persons, groups or organisations that are willing to contribute to the cost of this appeal to make the donations to the bank account given below:

Name of the Bank: Hang Seng Bank Ltd.
Address of the Bank: Hankow Road Branch
4 Hankow Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
Account no.: 295-9-077849 (HKD saving)
Account holder: Asian Human Rights Commission Ltd.
Swift code: HASEHKHH

All receipts will be acknowledged and full disclosure will be made of all donations received as soon as the matter is completed. If any money is received in excess of the amount required it will be used for the purpose of helping persons in similar circumstances.

For making of further appeals kindly see the following web references:

http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2477/
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE230262007
http://www.petitiononline.com/rizana1/


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About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.