Sri Lankan maid Rizana Nafeek has been beheaded in Saudi Arabia.Rizana Nafeek was found guilty of killing an infant her care in 2005 after signing a confession written in Arabic that she did not understand and later retracted.
The execution of Rizana Nafeek has sparked international condemnation especially from Human Rights bodies .
A global campaign to save the maid had been led by a British charity, Safer World for Women but they did not manage to save her ,National Post reported. Nafeek’s supporters claimed her execution was a breach of child rights.
“Saudi Arabia knew Rizana Nafeek was a child [but] they beheaded her anyway,” said Joanne Michele, a researcher with the group. “Rizana Nafeek had no access to lawyers either during her pre-trial interrogation or during her first trial.”
“All Sri Lankans should regard today as a day of shame,” the Asia Human Rights Commission said. “There is no doubt that the charge of murder against Rizana is wrong. The laws in Saudi Arabia fall short of universally accepted norms concerning investigations of crimes.”
Saudi Arabia beheaded as many as 76 people last year under its strict code of Islamic law. Cases of abuse, torture and imprisonment of domestic servants has led some countries to restrict recruitment of maids by Saudi Arabian agencies.
By UP
