LONDON: On September 25 Rizana Nafeek's death sentence was upheld by Riyadh's Supreme Court. Nafeek lost her appeal against the death sentence for the death of an infant she was taking care of. The decision is currently being reviewed by the advisor of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for ratification. Nafeek can be granted amnesty if either King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia or the family of the deceased infant grant clemency. IHRC urges all campaigners to write to the King of Saudi Arabia, the family of the child and Saudi Embassies all over the world asking for clemency on behalf of Rizana Nafeek. Rizana Nafeek, 22 years old, was charged with strangling the 4-month-old infant of the family for whom she worked as a housemaid in Dawadmi city. Sri Lankan Muslim Nafeek is detained facing the death penalty for allegedly strangling Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al-Otaibi's four-month-old son. She came to Saudi when she was 17-years-old to work for al-Otaibi household in Dawadmi as a maid. A week after she arrived she was assigned to look after the four-month old baby, without any training and in addition to her daily duties. While bottle-feeding the baby, he started choking on the milk. Nafeek shouted for help; however by the time the mother arrived the baby fell unconscious. Nafeek was taken to police where the family of the baby claimed that she committed a premeditated murder. She was tortured in the police station and was made to confess, under duress, which she later retracted. Her torture as a child and a juvenile is against the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which had been ratified by the Saudi Arabian government. She was denied access to her lawyer during her pre-trial interrogation. Kateb el-Shammari, who was appointed by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to defend Nafeek, doubted credentials of the translation of Nafeek's confession in to Arabic. Translation was made by a Tamil speaking, Saibo, who left the country with no return after this. Nafeek was Indicted and found guilty of alleged death of an infant in 2005. The verdict was later endorsed by the Supreme Court in Riyadh and a death sentence was given. In June 2007 Nafeek was sentenced to death by a three-member panel of judges headed by Abdullah al-Rosimi , Chief Justice of Dawadmi High Court. On September 25 Nafeek's death sentence was upheld by Riyadh's Supreme Court after losing her appeal against the death sentence. The decision is now being referred to the Interior Ministry and Council of Ministers which is headed by King Abdullah of Saudi, who can either approve the death sentence or grant her amnesty. Nafeek's lawyer told IHRC: “Amnesty can be granted by the King of Saudi, who presides the Council of Ministers, or by al-Otaibi, family of the deceased infant”. Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa has written an appeal to King Abdullah of Saudi requesting him to spare the life of Nafeek. IHRC calls on his Royal Highness King Abdullah of Saudi to grant Nafeek amnesty and use his prerogative right to save the life of the young Muslim girl Rizana Nafeek. BM
