Saudi Authorities have so far not notified officially the beheading of Sri Lankan National Rizana Nafeek

Saudi Arabian Government Authorities have so far not informed the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Riyadh. up to the time of posting this news item, about the execution of the Sri Lankan national Rizana Nafeek.

Sri Lankan Ambassador in Riyadh Mr. Ahamed A. Jawad when contacted told the Asian Tribune that Saudi Authorities have never, either given any advance notice of the impending execution of the Sri Lankan national or even did not give any information about the conclusion and confirmation of the beheading of Rizana Naffeek.

Rizana Nafeek - a Sri Lankan National, a housemaid who arrived in Riyadh on the 1st April 2005 and was arrested on 22 May 2005 on charges of killing a 4 month old Saudi infant boy Kayed bin Nayef bin Dzean Otaibi – Saudi nationality, "strangled him because of a dispute between them and his mother, which led to his death,” according to the Interior Ministry notification after the conclusion of the execution.

Rizana was arrested and statement obtained by the Dawdami Police, according to her, under duress and a case was filed initially at the Dawdami High Court, where a three judges bench 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.

The Dawdami High Court sentence was subsequently upheld by the Court of Cassation and sent for ratification by the Supreme Judicial Council. However, the Council sent it back to the lower court for further clarification. The case then went back and forth between the courts until on or around 25 September 2010, when the Supreme Court in Riyadh upheld the death sentence.

Asian Tribune contacted yesterday Sri Lankan Ambassador to clarify whether the Saudi Authorities informed on the 8th of January, the day before the impending execution of the Sri Lankan National - House Maid Rizana Nafeek?

Sri Lankan Ambassador in Riyadh, Ahamed A. Jawad responded in the negative and said “Mr. Rajasingham No .. no.”

He further said that when the Sri Lanka’s Attorney General came here two months ago, they have said in couple of hundreds words that “they have done their best.”

“In fact the deduction we made was that they have called the legal officer of the Government to say that all steps have been taken and that’s it. That time they were saying that three months ago the whole things have been stopped and they have stop contacting the parents. The system is so opaque and even when it comes to official things you harbor doubts."

Ambassador continued, “So when I phoned the Director General of Public Rights of the Department of the Riyadh Governorate day before yesterday (7th January), he said that "we had summoned here yesterday Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al Otaibi, the father of the deceased Saudi infant boy for one more meeting and I was informed that the father of the deceased Saudi child has said that, ‘my wife is unwilling to pardon and she gets nightmares.’ That was how it came down.”

The Ambassador reiterated that about the actual execution, Saudi Authorities never informed him except he learnt through the Saudi Press Agency.

Asian Tribune further asked whether he received any information officially from the Saudi authorities even after the conclusion of the execution of a Sri Lankan national, Ambassador Jawad said in response a big “No”.

Asian Tribune even asked again whether he has received any information up to now of any confirmation or information from the Saudi Government Authorities?

Ambassador Jawad said that the confirmation was that from the Government run Saudi Press notification.

When asked, “Was that sent to you”, Ambassador said, “No no , it appeared in their website.”

He continued, “What that says. Shall I read it out to you?” Ambassador said it was an unofficial English language translation and accordingly it said that the Ministry of Interior has notified of the execution of a criminal in Dawadmi town and the announcement of the Ministry of Interior was speaking of the execution of Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan national.

Asian Tribune also asked Ambassador Ahamed A. Jawad, whether there was any move to take back to Sri Lanka the body of Rizana Nafeek, the executed Sri Lankan Housemaid to Sri Lanka?

In response Ambassador Ahamed A. Jawad said “No … No and the procedure according to Saudi law is that if anyone is executed, the body of that person is buried immediately after the execution. I thought that law only applies for Muslims and when I clarified I was told that this also applies to non-Muslims too. If anyone is executed here, they will be buried here.

He said, About 4 years ago, 4 Sri Lankans were executed and similarly they were buried here.

Asian Tribune asked whether any move, that means any request for the body of Rizana Nafeek to be sent to Sri Lanka? Anybody contacted you regarding that?

Ambassador responded that “Minister of Foreign Employment Mr. Dilan Perera called me and I have to tell him of the local procedure. “

- Asian Tribune -