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Sri Lankan Civil Society Calls On The Government To Save The Life of The Female House Maid in Saudi Arabia
Sri Lankan Civil Society Calls On The Government To Save The Life of The Female House Maid in Saudi Arabia
(File photo)
STATEMENT BY WOMENS ORGANISATIONS, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS
AND CONCERNED CITIZENS.
03/12/2015
Death Sentence Imposed on a Sri Lankan Migrant Worker in Saudi Arabia
We the undersigned express our deep dismay and distress that as a yet unnamed Sri
Lankan housemaid living in Saudi Arabia has been found guilty of adultery and has
been sentenced to death by stoning.
According to newspaper reports, a court in Riyadh sentenced the woman, reportedly a
mother of two, based on her confession. The male worker involved in the case who
has been found guilty of fornication (as he is not married) has been given a sentence
of 100 lashes. Little is known of the circumstances of the case; generally these cases
are difficult to prove as it must be corroborated by four male witnesses or eight female
witnesses. However since the woman pleaded guilty the case has been exempted
from this standard of proof.
In response to the conviction, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE)
and the Ministry of Foreign Employment has expressed concern and instructed the Sri
Lankan Embassy in Saudi Arabia to take all steps to save the convicted woman. The
SLBFE has hired a lawyer to appear on behalf of the woman in order to obtain a
revocation of the death sentence. Minister Thalatha Athukorale has however noted
that this would be an uphill task given that the woman has confessed to the offence.
This is the second instance that a Sri Lankan housemaid has been given the death
sentence. Previously Rizana Nazeek was beheaded on 9th January 2013 for the
alleged murder of a four-month old baby boy. Nafeeks conviction was also based on a
confession, which she later claimed was made under duress and without linguistic
assistance. Following a case which dragged on for five years and despite appeals
made by the government of Sri Lanka and international and local womens and human
rights organisations, the Saudi government went ahead with her execution in January
2013.
According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia is amongst the top three countries
that implement the death penalty and the majority of those who are executed are
foreign nationals convicted for non-lethal crimes such as adultery, apostasy, sorcery
and witchcraft.
We appeal to THE RESPECTIVE AUTHORITIES TO take all possible measures to
revoke the death sentence and ensure the migrant workers safe return to Sri Lanka.
We EARNESTLY call on you to expeditiously bring to bear all possible means to
ensure that the migrant worker is granted justice. We further call on you to ensure that
Sri Lankan migrant workers are granted all possible support and protection to ensure
their human rights.
Sincerely
1. Action Network for Migrant Workers (ACTFORM)
2. Centre for Policy Alternatives
3. Centre for Social Concerns, Jaela
4. Ceylon Workers Red Flag Union
5. Citizens Voice for Justice and Peace
6. Domestic Workers Union
7. Families of the Disappeared
8. Kantha Shakthi Forum
9. Lanka Estate Workers Union
10. United Federation of Labour
11. Lawyers Collective for democracy
12. Muslim Womens Research and Action Forum
13. Red Flag Womens Movement
14. Rights Now
15. Rural Womens Front, Galle
16. Savisthri Womens Movement for Justice
17. Sri Lanka Womens NGO Forum (SLWNGOF)
18. Suriya Womens Development Centre, Batticaloa
19. Trikone Cultural Centre
20. Womans Power
21. Women and Media Collective (WMC)
111. K.L.M.Azeez
112. Fr Kirubairajah
113. Kusum Siriwardena
114. Lesley Sirimane
115. Leila Udayar
116. Lallani Kalupahans
117. Linus Jayathilaka
118. Dr L Solomons
119. Dinoo Mumthahana J.
120. M. Indrawathi
121. Mahendran Thiruvarangan
122. Maithree Wickramasinghe
123. Marisa de Silva
124. Mahinda Jayawardena
125. Mala Dissanayake
126. Mary Heather White
127. Menaha Kandasamy
128. Menike Wannisooriya
129. Melisha Yapa
130. Mirak Raheem
131. Mohamed Nuhman
132. Mujeebur Rahman
133. M.M.Jenita
134. M.S.Thevagowry
135. Nayagara Jinadasa
136. Nadira Salih
137. Neil Priyantha Fernando
138. Nimalka Fernando
139. Noorul Zaniha Jainulabdeen
140. N. Zairina Ariff
141. Nishani Punchihewa
142. Nirmalani Perera
143. Nimnaz Jabir
144. Padma Pushpakanthi
145. Paba Deshapriya
146. Pavithra Sajeevani
147. Philip Setunga
148. Piyumi Tharaka
149. Priyadarshanie Ariyaratne
150. Prabha Gurusinghe
151. P.Selvaratnam
152. Preethika Weerawansa
153. Premapala Hewabatage
154. Prema Gamage