Tue, 2010-11-02 07:28 — editor
Saudi Arabia
K.T.Rajasingham
Riyadh, 02 November, (Asiantribune.com):
The latest reports emerging from Riyadh reveals that the Riyadh Governorate has already referred to the Saudi Ministry of Interior for its observations and comments, the papers connected with the Saudi Supreme Court verdict confirming the death sentence on Sri Lanka housemaid Rizana Nafeek.
In the meantime it is further learnt that even the search by the Saudi Television Channel 1 to locate for an interview Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al-Otaibi and his wife - the father and mother of the four month old child alleged to have been murdered by the Sri Lanka House maid on 22nd May 2005, so far has drawn blank.
Sources in Saudi Arabia revealed that the Interior Ministry might send in its observation and the connected papers within three weeks time to the Office of the Minister Cabinet which is presided over by the King for the final decision by the Saudi Monarch on the death sentence.
Already Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 25 October has appealed to Saudi Monarch for clemency to the Sri Lankan housemaid. Still development on the clemency appeal is yet to be known.
Also Asian Tribune learnt that several ambassadors from the European Union countries based in Riyadh are also seriously considering appealing for clemency for Sri Lanka housemaid, to the Saudi monarch.
Earlier on September 25th the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia confirmed the death sentence imposed by the three-judge bench of the Dawadami High Court.
After confirming the death sentence, the connected papers were passed on to the Riyadh Governorate. Asian Tribune now learnt that the papers have been sent to the Interior Ministry by the Riyad Governorate.
The young Rizana Nafeek from Muthur, the eldest daughter of a woodcutter, arrived in Riyadh on May 4, 2005, and quickly began work as a housemaid in the Al-Otaibi household in Dawadami, 390 km west of the capital. Apart from performing the daily household chores, Rizana had also been entrusted with the responsibility of looking after her employer's four-month old infant son, which she was not trained to do.
The incident that led to the death of the four month old infant reported to have occurred around 12:30 p.m. on May 22, 2005, while the accused maid was bottle-feeding the infant.
Rizana claims the baby accidentally choked and that she tried to get help; the parents claim she committed premeditated murder.
She was arrested in May 2005 and a three-member panel of judges from the Dawadami High Court headed by Chief Justice Abdullah Al-Rosaimi found Rizana Nafeek guilty of murdering the four-month-old son of Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al-Otaibi and sentenced her to death on June 16, 2007.
According to reports Sri Lanka has also earlier appealed Rizana Nafeek case to Saudi Human Rights Commission and still awaiting response from them.
- Asian Tribune -
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