Sri Lanka: An appeal for woman facing death sentence in Saudi Arabia

YOU ARE HERE: Home » All Entries » Sri Lanka: An appeal for woman facing death sentence in Saudi Arabia

PUBLISHED ON July 3, 2007 AT 11:42 PM

Saudi Arabie: An appeal to Muslim scholars throughout the world

Deported OFWs Urge Replacement of Philippine Officials in Saudi

An Open Letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking legal
assistance for the young Sri Lankan woman facing the death sentence
by beheading in Saudi Arabia

Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona,
Secretary / Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic Building,
Colombo 01, Sri Lanka.

Dear Dr. Kohona,

Re Rizana Nasik of Mutur—the young girl facing death sentence
by beheading:
Matter relating to legal assistance for her appeal.

I am sure you are aware of the death sentence pronounced on Rizana
Nasik of Mutur by a Court in Saudi Arabia and who is now awaiting the
death sentence. She still has time for filing an appeal which has to
be done soon. We have been informed that the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has been in contact with Rizana Nasik’s family in
Mutur. This family belongs to the lower income group and is totally
unable to meet the cost of litigation which according to your embassy
sources in Saudi Arabia amounts to about Rs. 600,000. We also
understand that the father of Rizana Nasik has met Foreign Ministry
officials in Colombo and has already explained to them that the
family does not have means to contribute to this appeal.

We also understand that the Sri Lankan embassy in Saudi Arabia has
already made representations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
requesting funds to enable filing of this appeal. There also seems to
be good grounds for appeal since the entire case had been conducted in
a language not understood by her and also without any meaningful
interpretation provided to her. She had also not been legally
represented at the trial. She is also quite young and is said to have
left for employment a few months ago when she was only about 17 years
of age. Furthermore the totality of evidence against her is supposed
to be a confession which she had later withdrawn. In a foreign
country under such circumstances and being of such young age, it is
quite possible that she may have made the confession under duress.

Nonetheless, such defenses are hardly of much use within the legal
system of Saudi Arabia. A Sri Lankan citizen—particularly of
that young age—facing a criminal trial carrying the possibility
of the death sentence which within the particular jurisdiction is
carried out rapidly Rizana Nasik would have deserved legal assistance
from the embassy of her country from the very beginning. However, even
at this late stage, the Government of Sri Lanka owes it to this young
Sri Lankan citizen to rapidly intervene and assist her. According to
interviews in the media, it appears that what prevents granting her
legal redress is some rule, regulation or policy that seems to deny
legal assistance by the Sri Lankan Government to Sri Lankans
migrating to other countries who are accused of criminal charges. I
am sure you would agree that there is no legal basis to withdraw the
protection that the government of a particular country owes to its
citizens in this manner. Particularly, migrant workers who leave
their countries for employment should not be deprived of legal
protection merely because they are accused of some crime. As you are
aware, the Sri Lankan Constitution recognizes the presumption of
innocence of a person until proven guilty.

It is hardly necessary to remind you of the fate of 4 other Sri
Lankans who were beheaded recently—one of whom was in fact
sentenced only for 15 years of rigorous imprisonment. Even when that
matter was being publicly discussed, Sri Lankan embassy officials in
Saudi Arabia made promises to provide legal assistance to enable
these 4 persons to reviews their cases even at that last stage. The
President of the country at the time, Chandrika Kumaratunga made a
public statement, which was published on the front page of some
newspapers, that she will directly intervene with His Royal Highness
of Saudi Arabia to seek pardon on behalf of these 4 persons. The
present President as Prime Minister then and later as President also
made several public statements assuring that all attempts would be
made to assist the 4 persons facing death sentence. However, when the
death sentence was in fact carried out, no one—including embassy
officials in Saudi Arabia—was aware of it.

We are writing this to bring to your kind notice the pitiful plight
of this young woman and to urge you to take all appropriate actions
to ensure that she will be provided with legal assistance to enable
her to file this appeal. We also urge you to review any rule,
regulation or policy that may exist obstructing the granting of
protection owing to such a citizen.

We hope that you will graciously and expeditiously intervene in this
matter.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Moon Jeong Ho
Programme Officer,
Urgent Appeals Desk.
Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong

—————————————————
To unsubscribe from this list visit
http://internal.ahrchk.net/phplist/?p=unsubscribe&uid=aff008394ae8ac60c57ffdd3bd93fd81
To update your preferences visit
http://internal.ahrchk.net/phplist/?p=preferences&uid=aff008394ae8ac60c57ffdd3bd93fd81
—————————————————

Asian Human Rights Commission
19/F, Go-Up Commercial Building,
998 Canton Road, Kowloon, Hongkong S.A.R.
Tel: +(852) - 2698-6339 Fax: +(852) - 2698-6367

RSS feed • Subscribe via email • Discuss

TAGS

THE NEWS IN PICTURES

Free at Last. The so-called Tagaytay 5 -- Aris Sarmiento, Axel Pinpin, Riel Custodio, Michael Masayes and Rico Ybañez -- shown here inside their prison cell during their incarceration, were freed yesterday. “The dismissal of trumped-up charges and release of Tagaytay 5 is a victory for human rights,” said Ruth Cervantes, Karapatan's public information officer. (Photo: freetagaytay5.net)

Displaced. Residents of North Cotabato have been the ones badly affected by the military offensives launched against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. "As the government continues to indiscriminately drop bombs on Moro and Christian villages in Aleosan and Pikit, more and more civilians are displaced," said Kawagib, a Moro human-rights group.(Photo: Suara Bangsamoro/arkibongbayan.org)

In One Roof. Villagers who fled their homes after the clashes last week between government troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the south brought every human life with them, including their farm animals. They now live under one roof at an evacuation center in Pikit, North Cotabato. (Photo: Bong Sarmiento / Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project)

Emergency. A scene from "Ambulancia," a short film that tells of a painful twist in an ambulance driver's belief that a dying patient can be saved by running over stray animals on the streets. The award-winning film will be screened at the so-called "Woodstock of short films" in Germany. Richard Legaspi directed the film and it stars Alan Paule and Nor Domingo. (Contributed photo)

Sendoff. The Philippine Army dispatched today, Aug. 10, the 68th Infantry Battalion to Maguindanao. This battalion, together with the 46th Infantry Battalion from Samar, will augment the troops in Central Mindanao for the security operations that will be conducted to ensure peaceful elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao tomorrow. (Photo: Philippine Army)

Killings Denounced. Mindanao journalists gathered in General Santos City on Friday to denounce the recent attacks on their colleagues. On Monday, Dennis Cuesta, a Radio Mindanao Network commentator in General Santos, was shot and is fighting for his life. On Thursday, another RMN broadcaster, Martin Roxas of Capiz City, was shot dead. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

If This Wall Could Talk. With the pleasant scenery as a backdrop (and a constant reminder, perhaps, of a life they could have had), this poor family try to survive by actually living by the sidewalk outside the Chinese school in Davao City. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Undaunted. Activists from Anakbayan scuffle with the police as the Chevrolet Suburban carrying President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo passes by the junction before the newly built Bankerohan bridge in Davao City last week. The president was in the city for the declaration of the merger of Lakas-CMD and Kampi parties. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Freedom Denied. Lex Adonis, a former broadcaster of Bombo Radyo in Davao City, inside the Davao Penal Colony, where he was jailed after House Speaker Prospero Nograles sued him for libel over a story involving the Davao congressman's alleged sexual relations with a woman other than his wife. Despite a court order, Adonis remains in jail. (File photo by davaotoday.com)

Tribute to Ka Bel. Activists, artists, friends and supporters troop to the Philippine Independent Church on Taft Avenue Monday night to honor AnakPawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, who died last week. Beltran will be buried in Bulacan today, after a ceremony honoring him at the House of Representatives, where he served for several terms as party-list congressman. (Photo by Ayi Muallam/pinoypress.net)

Rare Sight. Moro women students of a madrasah play volleyball during a break in barangay Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, last week. While Filipina Moros are considered relatively open in their lifestyle compared to Muslim women in other countries, scenes like this are not very common in Moro areas in Mindanao. (Photo by Keith Bacongco/AKP Images)

Ka Bel's Fight. An activist mourns the death of AnakPawis Rep. Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran, who died Tuesday. Ka Bel's remains lie in state at the IFI Cathedral in Manila. His colleagues, family and friends have lined up a series of tributes. Click here for the schedules, as well as statements and poems honoring Ka Bel. (Photo by courtesy of arkibongbayan)

Displaced. Lumad families from Compostela and Monkayo towns, in Compostela Valley Province, seek refuge in Davao City after being displaced by intense counter-insurgency operations by the military in their communities this month. The 210 evacuees, of which 83 are children, are now staying inside a gym. The number of evacuees is expected to rise, according to NGOs. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan)

Sri Lanka: An appeal for woman facing death sentence in Saudi Arabia

Leave a Comment