Save Rizana from Beheading

2007-07-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

Rizana Nafeek

17 years old Muslim girl from Sri Lanka.
Sent to Saudi Arabia as a nanny.
She was assigned 10 children to look after.
Had to get up 3AM to work until late at night.
She has been accused of strangling a four month old infant in Saudi Arabia.
She was then sentenced a death penalty of beheading according to the Saudi Arabian High Court.
No one knows whether she committed the crime or not.

How you can help to save her?

Financially:

http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/1118/

Signing Petitions:

Petition 1:

http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2463/

Petition 2:

http://www.petitiononline.com/Rizana/

Writing a letter to Riszna’s employer asking a pardon:

http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/support.php?ua=UP-097-2007

The poor girl sent to build a new house for family and good life for her brothers and sisters shouldn't have to die because of a misunderstanding. It is very very possible she did not a crime.

Rizana's Family Rizana's House

Story and pictures are from the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2007/07/070704_saudifeature.shtml

Click and watch this presentation on youtube and don't forget to share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W0ycles2Oo

Please send/post/text the following message to your friends and relatives asking to sign the petition:

17 year old teen babysitter is waiting to be executed without a proper trial in Saudi Arabia for death of an infant which she denies responsible. Click the site below to sign the petition. http://saverizana.blogspot.com/ and watch the small video clip here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W0ycles2Oo and post your comments there. Your support will force Saudi government to give her a fair trial and finally her life.
Thank you.
Save Rizana online community.

Latest News:

"The Asian Human Rights Commission is of the view that was has happened is a tragedy and not a crime. At no stage was any allegation made of any animosity between the teenaged helper and the family. If such animosity existed it is very unlikely that a four month old infant would have been handed over to her care."

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?newsID=1541513238&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=11

Death Sentence Draws Near as Maid Waits for Appeal
Sarah Abdullah, Arab News
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=98302&d=9&m=7&y=2007&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom

After Two Years, Lankan Officials Move in Rizana Case
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=98340&d=10&m=7&y=2007
"According to the Asian Human Rights Commission, Nafeek defense is that the child died during bottle-feeding and that she tried to revive the child and called for help. (Accidental death is not a capital crime under Shariah.) Nafeek was found guilty of murder with no legal representation."

July 12: Initial Legal Fees Paid for Filing Sri Lankan Maid Appeal
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=98425&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;d=13&m=7&y=2007
JEDDAH, 13 July 2007 — As the July 16 deadline to file an appeal in the case of Rizana Nafeek, the 19- year-old Sri Lankan maid accused of strangling a four-month-old Saudi boy, draws near, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come forward and deposited an initial sum of SR50,000 to begin the appeals process.

July 14: Sri Lankan housemaid on death row.... http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/14/africa/ME-GEN-Saudi-Beheadings.php
"Speaking of the housemaid's sentence, Kate Allen of Amnesty International called it "an absolute scandal that Saudi Arabia is preparing to behead a teenage girl who didn't even have a lawyer at her trial.""

Arabic letter requesting the pardon for Rizana"

July 22
Thanks for your help, Rizana meets parents in prison
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2007/07/070722_rizana_parents.shtml
Rizana Nafeek, has met her family members on Sunday in Riyadh.

October 30
You can find latest updates and discussions related to this case here:
http://www.theacademic.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6084&start=255

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=102900&d=28&m=10&y=2007

Lawyers Confident of Saving Rizana
Mohammed Rasooldeen, Arab News

RIYADH, 28 October 2007 — There is a strong possibility that Rizana Nafeek, charged by a court in Dawadmi with murdering a four-month-old child, will escape execution, according to her lawyers. The law firm of Khateb Al-Shammary retained by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has filed an appeal against the death sentence and her case is currently being reviewed in a court of appeals.