Delay in issuing visas to Sri Lankan team to enter Saudi a puzzle

Saudi Arabian Embassy in Sri Lanka has so far not issued the necessary visa's for the Sri Lankan team, including the Deputy Foreign Minister, to enter Saudi Arabia and make representations on behalf of the 19-year -old Sri Lankan House maid, Rizana Nafeek, sentenced to beheading.

The visa applications were made a week ago and the delay is yet to be explained. The father and mother of the condemned teenage housemaid is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to appeal in person for clemency from Mr & Mrs Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al Otaibi, the father and mother of the deceased 4-month-old boy who was alleged to have been killed by the Sri Lanka Housemaid.

The Sri Lankan team due to leave for Saudi Arabia is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila. Others in the team are Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, director general of Middle East and North African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moulavi M.B.M. Zarook, representative of the Jamiyathul Ulema (Council of Islamic Theologians), Rizana's father, Mohammed Nafeek and mother Razeena.

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http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/6554

Saving Rizana Nafeek doubtful!

The government delegation to visit Saudi Arabia to save Rizana Nafeek, the Sri Lankan girl sentenced to death for the murder of a four-month-old baby has postponed their visit.

Minister Hussain Baila, the leader of the delegation, said they had to postpone the visit due to the refusal of visas by Saudi Arabian Embassy in Sri Lanka. He further said he and the other members of the delegation were waiting to fly to Saudi Arabia as soon as they receive visas to visit that country.

The four months old baby girl had died due to sickness. However, at the time of her death she had been under the care of Rizana Nafeek. As she had been threatened by the parents of the child she had admitted that the child had died due to her negligence.

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http://www.lankatruth.com/full_story/2007/July/15/20070715_04.htm

Photos,
Rizana's House and Rizana's Family
http://saverizana.blogspot.com/2007/07/save-rizana.html

After Two Years, Lankan Officials Move in Rizana Case

A high-level Sri Lankan delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila will arrive here soon to make a personal appeal for clemency to the parents of an infant that died under the care of a Sri Lankan woman who came to Saudi Arabia after turning 17, allegedly with documents forged by the employment recruiter that gave a false date of birth.

“As a democratic country, we respect the laws of the host country,” Bhaila told Arab News. “However, we want to make a personal appeal to the parents to consider a pardon for this girl who had committed the murder when she was a minor.”

In May 2005, Rizana Nafeek was assigned to take care of a Saudi family’s infant child. After two weeks on the job, the child died under her care. The parents said that Rizana strangled the child to death.

Sri Lankan officials said that Rizana initially confessed to the crime while in custody, but that during the trial she explained that the confession — which was allegedly made shortly after her arrest at a police station with no translators (Rizana doesn’t speak Arabic) — was made under pressure of the moment.

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http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=
0&article=98340&d=10&m=7&y=2007&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom

Minor Sri Lankan Muslim Girl was sentenced to death by three Saudi judges on a confession under duress

Miss Rizana Nafeek , a 17 year old Muslim house maid from Sri Lanka has been sentenced to death by a Saudi Arabian court of three judges on a confession obtained under duress by the Saudi Arabian police, the girl has complained.

The poor Muslim girl had been sent to Saudi Arabia misstating her age by a crooked job agency that added six years to her age to make her a house maid to do household chores and her master wanted her to baby sit their four months old infant in addition to the other endless work, for which task she had been never trained, it has been also revealed.

The infant died while the teenager was bottle feeding the baby and the police coerced Nafeek to give a confession that she killed the baby, under which the three Saudi judges sentenced her to death, she has revealed, to Sri Lankan embassy officials.

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http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/6463