Sri Lanka: Monk hangs self in Kandy Prison

A Buddhist monk who was detained at the Kandy remand prison after being arrested for possessing marijuana has committed suicide by hanging himself.

Police spokesman SP Ajith Rohana says the 73-year-old monk, of a monastery in Wilgamuwa, was found dead in his prison cell on Friday (25) morning.

The monk was arrested by Wilgamuwa Police on February 19 for possessing 500g of ganja and remanded after being produced before Naula Magistrate’s Court the following day.

The body is currently placed at the Kandy Hospital mortuary while postmortem examinations have not been completed yet, the police media spokesman said in a release.
Source: Sri Lanka News -Adadeerana on line edition

Sri Lanka: Two Men Sentence to Death

The Kandy High Court sentenced to death two murder suspects who had been involved in a murder that took place in 2001 in Harasgama Road Matale.

Kandy High Court Judge Ms. M.C.Phuspamalee sentenced to death the two accused B.G. Karunaratne alias Raja and B. Ariyaratne over the murder of H.D.Wimalasena on or about September 7, 2001.

There were six witnesses called by the prosecution and the Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Sanjeewa Illanayake in evidence submitted to court that there had been eight injuries on the body and the skull was in pieces triggering brain damage.

At the conclusion of the trial, the High Court Judge sentenced both accused to be hung and ordered that they should be at the Bogambara Prison until the date for the hanging is announced by the President.
Source: Dali y Mirror on line edition (L.B.Senaratane)

Buddhist monk sentenced to death

A Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka has been sentenced to death – the first in 50 years to receive such a sentence in the country. He was condemned for a murder committed before he was ordained into the clergy. His fate is however unclear as no death sentence has been carried out for more than three decades. The 37-year-old monk, Venerable Gomadiye Sarana, was sentenced to death by a court in southern Sri Lanka along with a companion. They had been found guilty of murdering a man 12 years ago – some years before the monk entered holy orders. Bandaranaike murder The crime appeared linked to a dispute over an affair the monk had with the murder victim’s sister. Reports say the judge ordered the monk to remove his robes before he delivered the judgment. But the monk refused. Theravada Buddhist monks play a prominent public role in Sri Lanka. This is the first time a monk has been given the death sentence since the hanging in 1962 of Talduwe Somarama, a fierce Sinhalese nationalist who had assassinated a Sri Lankan prime minister. Other monks have recently been implicated in serious crimes. Last year a court ordered the arrest of a Buddhist cleric in northern Sri Lanka for allegedly sexually molesting a teenage girl. In the south a crowd of protestors demanded the arrest of someone they said was a monk for the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl. And last week police said they detained a monk in possession of heroin. People are regularly sentenced to death in Sri Lanka but the last judicial execution happened in 1976 so there are hundreds on death row.  Source:  By Charles Haviland BBC News, Colombo

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Sri Lanka: Another Six individuals received Death Penalty

The Provincial High Court of Kegalle today (Feb. 08) handed down death sentences to six individuals convicted in three murder cases. 

The suspects were found guilty of three separate murders which had taken place in Aranayake, Avissawella and Deraniyagala.

High Court Judge Menaka Wijesundara handed down the sentences as the charges against the suspects had been proven beyond reasonable doubt. 

Source: Ada Dearana. 

Sri Lanka: Puttalam District court issues death sentence

Sunday Leader on line edition
The Puttalam High Court issued the death sentence on a suspect arrested in 2007 for having heroin in his possession.
P. Mohomad Jauffer was found guilty today for having heroin in his possession when a vehicle was stopped at a police check point in Nagaviluwa, Puttalam in 2007.
Puttalam High Court judge S.B Arafat Kassim issued the death sentence when the case was taken up for hearing today.
The first accused in the case, K. Selvaratnam, was released by the court while another suspect, Salam Azwar, is believed to have fled to India.
High Court judge S.B Arafat Kassim issued an arrest warrant for Azwar and instructed the police to present the warrant to the police in India.
Heroin weighing some 899.5 grams was found in the vehicle at the time it was checked but the suspect had managed to flee.
Following investigations, the police identified the three suspects and arrested two of them as the other man had fled the country.
03 Feb 2012 

Caged in time: He dreams of being free BY GAMINI AKMEEMANA

This article published in conjunction with world anti death penalty day Oct 10th 2011 

 

At a time when boys dream of going to university, entering adulthood, finding jobs, of love and marriage, Jayalath Bandara ended in prison. Not just in prison, but in death row, and he’s been languishing there for the past eight years.
The horror of his situation strikes home with all the more force when you realise that Bandara now 34 is confined to a wheel chair. He has to be helped by his elder brother, jailed along with him and fellow prisoners. If the day comes when the death sentence is actually carried out, he’ll have to be hung while sitting on that chair. Or he’ll have to be held up by two guards while the hangman tightens the noose around his neck.It’s a gross miscarriage of justice. Bandara isn’t a hardened criminal incarcerated here for a shocking crime. He can only be described as an accessory to a murder. He was standing by his father and brothers who were arguing with another villager over the right to work a paddy field. The argument went bad and Jayalath’s elder brother Chandraratna Bandara killed the man with a mamoty. The police arrested all the males in the family including Jayalath who was a 17-year-old schoolboy. That was in March 1994. The judge, reluctant to jail a minor, released him on Rs.2,000 bail. The police seem to have been prejudiced against the family from the start and Jayalath and his terrified mother were forced to sign a statement at the Wellawaya police station, the contents of which were not shown to them. It was while being at liberty on bail in 1996 that Jayalath fell from a coconut tree, damaging his spine. After the initial treatment, recovery seemed possible, but the trial interrupted treatment and he ended up being a cripple for life.
The case was heard at the Badulla Magistrate’s Court. The defense lawyer abandoned the case a few weeks before the verdict. Clearly, the defense had not studied the case properly. The judge had not been informed of the vital fact that Jayalath was only 17 and hence a minor when the murder was committed. The result was a gross miscarriage of justice as far as Jayalath was concerned. A group of volunteers are now acting to get Jayalath a presidential pardon. The sooner this happens, the better, because it is inhuman to keep this young man in jail. To understand the meaning of this statement, you really have to see how he survives on death row. Words alone aren’t enough to reproduce the full horror of his situation.
He spends most of his time in Bogambara Prison, Kandy, but is sent to Welikada prison in Colombo for two-week stints. It isn’t much of a choice. Death row at Bogambara is hellishly hot with all windows covered, but there are fewer mosquitoes at night due to the milder climate. It is also cleaner than the pest-infested death row at Welikada, though the word hardly seems applicable to the dismal interiors of our overcrowded prisons.

When I visited him in Welikada (since then, he has been transferred to Bogambara prison in Kandy), I had to speak to him through the thick wire mesh which blocked out entry to the dismal interior which houses the prisoners. During the day, they are free to wander about the dimly lit corridors which recall pictures of hellish mental asylums of 19th century Europe. It’s amazing that no one has done any detailed research into the mental and physical health of longterm prisoners in our prisons. It is inevitable that many fall sick or become degenerate under such appalling conditions. The Dehiwela Zoo is hardly a paradise for the caged animals that live in apathy there, but even they seem to be better off than the inmates of our prisons, especially those on death row. At least two ministers of the government, past and present, have spent considerable time in jail, but none have taken the time or trouble even to think of prison reforms once they gained political power.
Society by and large has taken a ‘serves them right’ attitude towards hardcore criminals. Tacit approval for the extrajudicial executions of mafia members and gagsters is widespread across all walks of society. This makes the entire judicial process redundant. At the same time, there is widespread approval of the death penalty, as there is a deep rooted belief that this will deter crime (even though evidence from many parts of the world suggests otherwise). As for those stuffed into our hellish prisons, there is an appalling indifference. As columnist Gamini Wiyangoda recently commented, the phrase ‘prisoners too, are human’ is displayed prominently on the walls of Welikada prison. He sarcastically suggested that this should be displayed inside, not outside.
Our prisons house hardcore criminals along with those sentenced for lesser crimes. In death row, Jayalath, soft-spoken, physically fragile and emotionally vulnerable, must cohabit with rapists and pathological killers. In a civil society, even serial killers are accorded a basic standard of living in prison. They are not left to rot in inhuman, unsanitary conditions. But our prisons, among many other things, lead us to seriously question if ours is a civil society.
Due to the incompetence of the lawyers and the resulting gross miscarriage of justice, Jalayath lost his youth and his future. He could not complete his ordinary level exam. Prison doesn’t allow a death row prisoner to study for an exam. In any case, Jayalath says he has lost his memory and concentration over the years. But he dreams of freedom. Even if he dies as a beggar on the road, he wants to die a free man, and our law and order system, if it has a conscience, is duty bound to let him out now.

Paralysed and on death row By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Sunday Time 9 Oct 2011

This article is published in conjuction with Oct 10th World Anti Death Penalty Day

Entangled in a murder at 16 plus, prisoner G5610 pleads for Presidential clemency.

Kumudini Hettiarachchi reports

Dressed in full white, Jayalath Bandara greets us with palms together in the traditional Sinhala way. It’s just like any meeting across the country, or is it? The harsh reality of this meeting is different. It’s not a convivial gathering of people over cake and hot cups of tea at 11 in the morning. We are meeting Jayalath in the small area leading to D-Ward, having reached Bogambara in Kandy at around 8.30 a.m. Jayalath slumped in a wheelchair has as his backdrop the huge barred and padlocked door of D-Ward with cells behind it. Is it coincidental that the area where he is being incarcerated is called D-Ward, for he is on death row at the Bogambara Prison and has been languishing here for many a long year, with a brief stay of two weeks at Welikada with his older brother. This 33-year-old has been convicted and sentenced to death for murder, lost his appeal, with the conviction and sentence being upheld. (See timeline of his life’s tragic events.) He has not been hanged, however, as Sri Lanka has placed a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty, with the last hanging being in 1976. With all the hype about the recruitment of a new Alu Gosuwa (Hangman), by whatever name he is called, which he has read in the newspapers, a chilling fear pervades his very being, though the tingles do not run down his spine, for he has been paralysed waist down since 1996. So what, will ask all the law-abiding people of this country? If Jayalath committed murder, justice has to be meted out. The Sunday Times took an in-depth look not only at the pathetic but also the tragic plight of Jayalath who had allegedly been embroiled in this case as a lad of 16 plus. The tale of unfortunate circumstances unfolds at D-Ward. The day his life changed irrevocably is etched in his memory like yesterday. It was January 2, 1994, the Sunday before the new school term began when Jayalath as a 16-year-old would go into the Ordinary Level class at the Central School in his hometown of Wellawaya in Moneragala district. His family had some land, mainly goda idam but little mada idam (kumburu or paddyfields). There was a dispute between Jayalath’s father and his grandmother about a plot of land. Jayalath’s family, with father and three sons including Jayalath had toiled in this particular kumbura for long and weary hours. However, that fateful Sunday, a neighbour told them that the “chandiya” (thug) in the village was ploughing the land. Api deveni paratath haala thibbe. Niyara kapala, we wapuranna witherai thibbe, says Jayalath, with his eyes brimming over at the events which made his life take a drastic turn. (His family had already ploughed the field and had only to cut the niyara and sow the paddy) Furious at the gumption of the chandiya, his father grabbed the keththa and rushed to the kumbura, with Jayalath and two brothers going along with him. An argument ensued and the deed took place, with father and elder brother immediately giving themselves up at the Police Station. Jayalath’s terrified mother and sisters then packed the young lad off to a relative’s home in Mahiyanganaya, while the police arrested the second brother. On the instigation of a neighbour who had a grudge against them, the police also insisted that Jayalath should be taken in as well. The rest, of course, is tragic history for the family. With no money to hire good lawyers, the home and livelihood in disarray and only womenfolk to fight out the unfamiliar legal battles, the case dragged on without, according to rights activist Bernard Edirisinghe – who along with many others is urging and pleading for Jayalath’s release even so late in the day – the court being told clearly that he was a minor at the time of the incident. While the case was dragging on, fate had more in store for Jayalath. Out on bail, he was up on a kurumba tree with another village lad when he lost his footing and fell, injuring his spine. That effectively confined him to a wheelchair, a fact most probaly court had no indication of. Pavula seeseekada gihilla, says Bernard, with Jayalath’s father, Disapala Mudiyanselage Thillekeratne dying on death row and one brother, Ranasinghe Bandara, being knifed to death while on bail, when he was waylaid and robbed of his wages as a mason’s helper, while returning home. The other brother, Gnanathilake Bandara is on death row at Welikada Prison with whom Jayalath recently had a tearful reunion when he went “visit balanna” there. Jayalath’s distraught mother, Sudu Menike had died after being driven insane over Jayalath’s fate and trying to get him released. His two sisters, both farm labourers, in Wellawaya and Mahiyanganaya, are holding Bodhi pooja for the release of their malli even at this late stage. The ravages of prison-life have not wreaked havoc on Jayalath who has a pleasant and fresh-faced demeanour. Mulu davase kalpana kara kara inne, he tells us explaining that the time is spent thinking. He can’t eat, he can’t sleep. His three cell-mates look after him, carrying him to the toilet for his ablutions, bathing him and wheeling him in his chair. Jayalath appreciates not only the kindness of his death-row peers but also the prison officials. On death row for about eight years, his routine could send many round the bend. Waking up at 6 a.m. they are given their breakfast and let out for half-an-hour just to get some air and sun right outside D-Ward, followed by lunch and then locked up in their small cells between 12 noon and 2 p.m. Thereafter, they are let out into the main area of D-Ward till 5 in the evening and then locked up in their cells after dinner from that time till 6 the next morning. “We can read newspapers and books and watch a little TV or play draughts,” says Jayalath who is one among hundreds of prisoners on death row. There is no rehabilitation for those sentenced to death asthey have to be kept under lock and key. Jayalath keeps pondering his fate, uninterested in what is happening around him for the Sword of Damocles, nay the hangman’s noose swings just over him. His sisters who have to work very hard for their daily rice and curry simply cannot spare the time nor do they have the money to visit him at Bogambara. As we bid adieu to ‘No. G5610’ on death row, the tears flow and Jayalath looks longingly at the door that we move out of and across the garden to the huge gate that shuts this world from the buzz of Kandy town. There is only one hope for what seems a terrible travesty of justice, as the world marks Anti-Death-Penalty Day tomorrow (October 10). The hope for Jayalath is a pardon from none other than President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Timeline of events November 23, 1977–Jayalath Bandara is born (see birth certificate) January 2, 1994 – The day the murder takes place 1996 – Jayalath gets paralysed after falling from a tree October 14, 2003 – Badulla High Court sentences him to death (Case No. HC 126/95) June 11, 2005 – The first hearing of the appeal in the Court of Appeal (Case No. 107/2003) March 16, 2006 – Court of Appeal judgment upholding High Court verdict February 27, 2007 – Court of Appeal judgment read out September 14, 2010 – A civilian writes to Prison Reforms Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera asking him to intervene on behalf of Jayalath June 26, 2011 and after – Many letters written to the President requesting clemency. July 7, 2011 – A public petition launched by Jayalath's sister Sriyani is signed by villagers. There are 116 signatures July 2011 – The Prison Welfare Committee chaired by Sam Wijesinha discusses Jayalath’s case and requests case file from the prison authorities July 2011 – Another public petition signed by 3,000 well-wishers is sent around

Rizana’s health condition worsens; Moulavis on mercy mission to Saudi

10 July Colombo: By Leon Berenger The Government is to rush a delegation of senior Muslim clerics to Saudi Arabia to secure the release of Rizana Nafik who is facing a public beheading after she was found guilty of killing her employer’s child amid reports she is under severe mental stress.
An External Affairs Ministry official said they were awaiting clearance from the Saudi authorities for the mission of the delegation comprising senior moulavis from various parts of the country.

A Muslim woman joins a free-Rizana protest in Colombo on Friday. Pic by Saman Kariyawasam

“This is our last chance to save the girl, after all the previous attempts had failed,” the official said.
Meanwhile Dr. Inamullh Masihudeen Naleemi, a former Consul General in Riyadh, has called upon the Government to initiate an appeal process in Saudi Arabia to secure Rizana’s release since she was underage at the time she was given the death sentence.
Dr. Naleemi who is a scholar on Sharia laws said an appeal could be made to the Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia to review the earlier verdict given by the Supreme Court citing article 173 of the legal code.
He said under the Saudi Sharia Law no death penalty could be given to a person below 18 years of age, and the maid was 17 years and two months old at the time of her arrest on May 25, 2005 although she had taken up employment on doctored travel documents that had given a higher age.
“The maid who has been in jail for the past six years is now reportedly suffering from severe mental stress and called for immediate action to be taken about her serious mental condition which might induce her to harm herself,” Dr. Naleemi said.
In a related development, Faizer Mackeen Rizana’s a trustee of a local mosque said the court must commute the death sentence to imprisonment since the father of the dead infant has already pardoned the maid. “Under the Sharia Law, the father has the sole right to his children, and if he has decided to pardon the maid the court will have to do it.
To do this the consent of the mother is not needed,” said Mr. Mackeen who is the Trustee of the Henamulla Jumma mosque in Panadura. He said the authorities must initiate court proceedings as soon as possible as any delay could lead to the maid’s execution.
“The defence has a good case. The question is, are the authorities interested?” Mr. Mackeen who is also the Secretary of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) said.
His views were endorsed by Dr. M. G. M. S. Zurfick with Falcon International who said if the father had pardoned the maid then the death sentence could be commuted.
He said he had also written to Sheikh Mansour the Director General in the Saudi Ministry of Justice explaining the maid’s case and her health conditions and sought his intervention to commute her death sentence.
Source: Sunday Times 10th July 2011

Saudi law is not Sharia- Mujibur Rahman

July 8th By Rifthi Ali Saudi Arabian law is not Islamic Sharia law and the Saudi Government can release Sri Lankan house maid Rizana Nafeek, United National Party (UNP) Western Province Councilor Mujibur Rahman said yesterday at a demonstration held in front of Davatagaha Jumma mosque in Colombo.
He said that the Saudi king should recommend Rizana’s release.
The demonstration was held after the Jummah prayers yesterday and the demonstrators called for the release of Rizana Nafeek who is in the death row in Saudi for allegedly causing the death of a four-month-old infant in her care.
The demonstrators marched up to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Colombo.
A house maid can not be employed as a baby sitter. This is a grave offence and the offenders be punished, Mujibar Rahman said.
“We are ready to pay the blood money for the release of Rizana,” he added. UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake who was also at the protest said that the government had not done anything worthwhile to have Rizana released.
Not a single Muslim Minister or the External Affairs Minister had gone to Saudi Arabia to plead for Rizana’s life, he accused.
Mr. Ramanayake told that the foreign employment agent who sent the under-aged girl Rizana to Saudi Arabia as a housemaid with a fake passport had not been black listed or arrested by the authorities.
Source: Daily  Mirror  July 8th

Demonstration for Rizana Nafeek

 Muslim Guardian:  29th June 

A demonstration was held outside the Saudi embassy in Colombo, urging that a Sri Lankan maid in Saudi Arabia be released from prison where a death sentence is hanging over her.

She was convicted of murdering a baby in her care but insists she is innocent and her parents say she was in any case legally a child when the alleged killing took place.

Charles Havilland reporting from Colombo said that about 100 Sri Lankans – including Action For Peace and Human Rights [APHR]  women’s’ rights and Muslim campaigners and politicians – staged a protest at the embassy, urging that the young maid, Rizana Nafeek, be released from her Saudi jail and spared the executioner’s sword.

They stressed that Sri Lankan women should be stopped from migrating to the Kingdom for domestic work.

There is increased anxiety in Sri Lanka about Rizana Nafeek’s case because an Indonesian maid, also convicted of a killing in Saudi Arabia, was recently executed.

But Sri Lanka’s minister of foreign employment, Dilan Perera, says Nafeek’s death sentence is in fact currently suspended and that Colombo is still trying to save her life through a pardon.

“This incident needs to be handled with caution and should not be exploited for political gain, “Minister Perera said.

The minister said that opposition parliamentarians are trying to exploit this issue while the government is continuing its efforts to obtain pardon for Rizana.

Rizana’s Case: The Power of Mercy An over view

Rossana Favero-Karunaratna July 5th 2011

The recent news about Rizana Nafeek have been disseminated by all sectors of our media. It is also necessary to mention the role of Saudi Arabian papers in English in the electronic media highlighting this case. The Saudi Arabian papers have also exposed details about Rizana and her arrival to that country, how her passport referred to a false date of birth, turning her into a minor seeking employment as a housemaid. The Dawadmi High Court sentenced Rizana Nafeek to death for killing the baby she was entrusted to look after. President Mahinda Rajapaksa intervened seeking pardon from the King of Saudi Arabia and Minister Rauf Hakeem is planning to send a delegation to ask for clemency for her.

There are many interesting and relevant points in this case to reflect and understand the present situation of Rizana. She was a minor when the sad event took place and a life of a child was lost.

Article 7 of the Arab Charter of Human rights entered into force in 2008 stipulates that:

(a) Sentence of death shall not be imposed on persons under 18 years of age, unless otherwise stipulated in the laws in force at the time of the commission of the crime.

"According to this international instrument, it is prohibited to render a sentence using the death penalty on a person under eighteen at the time of the crime, suspend execution and enforce it once the person reaches majority. The Committee on the rights of the child (there after the Committee) has always recommended that a person should not be executed for a crime committed when she was under eighteen years old , for example in one of its concluding observations it observed that : ""The Committee remains concerned that national legislation appears to allow children between the age of 16 and 18 to be sentenced to death with a two years suspension of execution .It is the opinion of the Committee that the imposition of suspended death on children constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment…" .

(Children’s rights and the death penalty in the Arab States, by Professor Kamel FI L AL I, Vice Chairman of the United Nations CRC)

Comments of readers in Saudi Arabia refer to several of these details , raising questions about the age of this girl, the absence of Mahrams- how women can travel so far without someone to look after them and the application of Shariah Law and the absence of a post mortem report of the infant.However they also refer to the application of the Shariah Law. Everybody who travels to a Muslim country should have at least basic information about its importance and relevance in daily life.

All aspects of a Muslim’s life are governed by Shariah and therefore that law is also applicable to Rizana. Shariah Law comes from a combination of important sources including the Qur’an (the Muslim Holy Book), the Hadith (sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad) and Fatwas (rulings of Islamic scholars).

Normally us, the non-Muslim sectors, associate Shariah Law with physical punishment and death. For Muslims, it is an important source of justice and it must be imposed. However we should all make an effort to understand the essence of Shariah.

"Today I have perfected your way of life (din) for you, and completed My favour upon you, and have chosen Islam as your way of life." (Qur’an, 5:3) The Holy Prophet Muhammad himself was told that, "We have only sent you as a mercy for all creation." (Qur’an, 21:179)

Shariah regulates life in order to attain perfection as it is seen as divine. Judges have a very deep knowledge on these matters and when there are different issues involved it is a common feature that Judges will refer to Shariah. If a sinful act has been committed therefore there must be a punishment that can act as deterrent for others. However, Shariah Law has, at the same time, the aspects of compassion, kindness, generosity, justice and tolerance. Shariah is in essence therefore opposed to cruelty and injustice. Rizana, was a minor when this incident happened and this fact puts her in a different situation as she was underage when she was performing her activities. This situation also raises the question if the event that took place could be defined as a sinful act or an accidental death caused when the infant choked with the milk he was drinking.

Shariah Law in relation to murder allows capital punishment, death penalty but after judicial judgement has been pronounced, appeals are allowed to the family of the victims, and they are begged to be merciful. It has been said that in Islam, it is always regarded as the height of mercy to forgive a murderer. Rizana has been convicted for murder.

Many comments in the Saudi papers give evidence of readers praying for the parents of the infant and fervently supporting the requests to pardon Rizana who they consider an innocent girl, wishing and praying Almighty Allah also to bless this affected parents with more wonderful and beautiful kids. The treatment of the Saudi papers in relation to Rizana herself has also been fair and with a compassionate approach.

Having said this, it is the power of mercy which will play a role in this case. It can be the prayers of all of us not only for Rizana but for the parents of the infant who died, to be able to be blessed and given peace at the end of the day. I believe the Muslim community has a big role to play in this case. While reading various sources of information for this article I came across these lines which really inspired me and which must guide us , having in mind Rizana and the grieving parents of both sides:

May Allah inspire you, to live your life under the shade of the mercy of Allah, Praised and Exalted be He. And may Allah, make you instruments of His mercy, not of His punishment.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=29438

 

Saving Rizana: ACJU Appeal seeks clemency

By Rifthi Ali 5th July 2011 The All Ceylon Jammiyyathul Ulema (ACJU), the Supreme Council of Muslim Theologians of Sri Lanka had sent a letter to King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia requesting the release of the Sri Lankan maid Rizana Nafeek, who was sentenced to death by a High Court in Saudi Arabia for allegedly causing the death of a four-month-old infant in her care. 

This letter was sent to the Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz through the External Affairs Ministry.

According to the letter, the ACJU had pleaded with the Saudi Arabian King to request the infant’s mother to  pardon Rizana Nafeek since the infant’s father was willing to pardon her but the mother has still not given her pardon.  The Sri Lankan government has expressed its willingness to pay  blood money for the pardon.

ACJU President Ash-Sheikh M.I.M. Rizvi Mufthi and General Secretary Ash-Sheikh M.N.A. Mubark had signed this letter. A discussion to seek the release of the Sri Lankan maid Rizana Nafeek was held at the External Affairs Ministry under the External Affairs Ministry monitoring parliamentarian Sajin Vas Gunawardena last week.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem has requested a meeting with the victim’s family and the respective tribal leaders to seek reconciliation.

Source: Dali y Mirror 

Jayalath Bandara: The Story of Disable Death Row Inmate

						මම ජයලත් බණ්ඩාර. ඉපදුණේ 1977 නොවැම්බර් 11. අපේ ගෙවල් තිබුණේ වැල්ලවායේ ඇතිලිවැව. දැන් පදිංචිය මිහිපිට තියෙන නරකම තැනට මීටර කිහිපයක් දුරින්. මම දැන් මෙතනට ඇවිත් අවුරුදු ගණනාවක් ගත වෙලා ගිහිං. ඒත් මම මෙහාට ආවේ ඇයි? ඒ කොහොමද? මේ ගැන තියෙන්නේ වාව ගන්න බැරි විමතියක් විතරයි. එදා 1994 ජනවාරි 02 ඉරිදා. නිවාඩුව අදින් ඉවරයි. හෙට ඉස්කෝලේ පටන් ගන්නවා. ඇතිලිවැව කනිෂ්ඨ විද්‍යාලයේ 10 වසරේ මුල් ම පංතියට යන්නයි ලැහැස්ති වෙලා හිටියේ’ උදේ තාත්තයි අයියලා දෙන්නයි කුඹුරට ගියා. පොඩි උදැල්ලක් කරේ තියා ගෙන මාත් ඒ පස්සෙන් ගියා. මේක අපි අවුරුදු ගණනාවක් අඳේට වැඩ කරපු කුඹුර. එදි යත්දි උස මහත මිනිහෙක් අපේ කුඹුරේ වැඩ කරමින් හිටියා. ඒ මනුස්සයගේ නම නන්දසිරි. ගමේ චණ්ඩියෙක්. ”අදින් පස්සේ උඹලට මේ කුඹුර කරන්න දෙන්නේ නෑ” – කියලා නන්දසිරි කිව්වා. ඒ කතාවට තාත්තයි අයියලා දෙන්නයි පැටළුණා. දරුණුවට බැණ අඬ ගහ ගත්තා. අපේ ලොකු අයියා (චන්දරත්න බණ්ඩාර) කැත්තකින් නන්දසිරිට කෙටුවා. ඒ මනුස්සය ලේ පෙරාගෙන කුඹුරට වැටුණා. ලොකු අයියා ආපහු පාරවල් කිහිපයක් ගහනවා මම දැක්කා. ඒ සිද්ධියෙන් පස්සේ මම ගෙදරටම දුව ගෙන ආවා. තාත්තයි අයියලා දෙන්නයි කොහේ ගියාද දන්නේ නෑ. පැය දෙක තුනකින් දැන ගන්න ලැබුණා නන්දසිරි මැරිලා කියලා. ඒ ගමන ලොකු අයියා කැත්තත් අරගෙන ගිහිං පොලීසියට බාර වුණා. ඒ වුණාට පොලීසියෙන් ඇවිත් තාත්තවයි - පොඩි අයියයි දෙන්නත් අරගෙන ගියා. තුන් දෙනාම රිමාන්ඩ් කළා. ඔය අතරේ අම්මා මාව ගෙදරින් පිටමං කළා. මම මහියංගණේ අක්කලාගේ ගෙදර ගියා. සති දෙකකට විතර පස්සේ ගෙදර ඇවිත් ආපහු ඉස්කෝලේ යන්න පටන් ගත්තා. ඒ වෙත්දී මට වයස අවුරුදු 14 යි. මාස දෙකක් විතර ගතවෙලා ගියා. එක දවසක් පොලීසියෙන් ඉස්කෝලෙට ඇවිත් මාව අරගෙන යන්න හැදුවා. ඒ වෙලාවේ ගුරුවරු ඒකට විරුද්ධ වෙලා මාව දෙන්න බැහැ කියලා තදින් කිව්වා. පොලීසිය හැරිලා ගියා. ඒත් 1994 මාර්තු මාසේ පොලීසිය ගෙදරට ඇවිත් මාව අත්අඩංගුවට ගත්තා. උසාවියේදී විනිශ්චයකාරතුමා පුදුම වුණා. අවුරුදු 14 ක බාල වයස්කාරයෙක් නිසා මාව රිමාන්ඩ් කරන්න බැහැ කියලා එතුමා කිව්වා. නමුත් පොලීසිය තදින් ම කිව්වා මං මේ මිනීමැරුමට සම්බන්ධයි කියලා. ඒ සැරේ එක දවසකට රැඳවුම්බාරයට පත් කරලා රුපියල් 2000 ක ඇපයක් මත මාව මුදා හරින්න නියෝග කළා. පොලීසියට ගිහිං කට උත්තරයක් දෙන්න කියලත් නියම කෙරුණා. අපේ අම්මා පොලීසිය දැක්කගමන් වෙවුලනවා. මාත් ඊට ඉස්සර පොලීසියකට ගිහිං නෑ. පොලීසියට ගිය වෙලාවේ මගෙන් ප්‍රශ්න කිහිපයක් අහලා සැර දැම්මා. පොලීසියේ මහත්තයෙක් පොතක දිග සටහනක් ලිව්වා. ඒක කියවන්න වත් බලන්න වත් දුන්නේ නෑ. අස්සන් කරපං කියලා බල කළා. මම අම්ම ගේ මුහුණ දිහා බැලුවා. ඒ සැරේ පොලීසියේ මහත්තයා අම්මටත් බැන්නා. මම ඒකට අස්සන් කරලා ගෙදර ආවා. ආපහු ඉස්කෝලේ යන්න පටන් ගත්තා. ඒත් වෙනදා වගේ නෙවෙයි. ගුරුවරු ළමයි එහෙම මගේ දිහා බැලුවේ කැලෑ සතෙක් දිහා බලනවා වගේ. හිතේ එකලාසයක් නෑ. හරියට කෑමක් බීමක් ගෙදර තිබුණෙත් නෑ. අපේ ගෙදරට මහා ශාපයක් පල දුන්නා වගේ. ජයලත් තරුණ වියේ තවත් මාස ගණනාවකට පස්සේ තාත්තයි අයියලා දෙන්නයි ඇප පිට ගෙදර ආවා. තාත්තා හැමදාම බොන්න පටන් ගත්තා. ගෙදර ප්‍රශ්න එන්න එන්න කඳු ගැහෙන්න ගත්තා. ඔය අතරේ ලොකු අයියා කොළඹ කොම්පැණියක රස්සාවකට ගියා. ගෙදරට තිබුණ එකම ආදායම් මාර්ගය ඒක විතරයි. මම ඉස්කෝලේ ගමන නතර කරලා වඩු වැඩ ඉගෙන ගන්න පටන් ගත්තා. ඔය අතරේ වඩු පංතියේ හිටිය යාළුවෙක් එක්ක දවසක් එයාල ගේ ගෙදර ගියා. ”කුරුම්බා කඩාගෙන බොමුද?” කියලා යාළුවා ඇහුවා. මම ගහට නැග්ගා. ගහ මුදුනේදී පොල්පිතිවල එල්ලිලා කුරුම්බා ගෙඩියක් කඩන්න ගෙඩිය කැරකුවා. පොල්පිති එක්කම මාව ගහ මුදුනේ ඉඳන් බිම වැටුණා. මට සිහිය ආවට පස්සෙයි දැන ගත්තේ මගේ තුනටියෙන් පහළ කොටස පණ නෑ කියලා. මේ සිද්ධිය වුණේ 1996 දී. එදා ඉඳන් කවදාවත් මං ඇවිද්දේ නෑ. මාව නඩු දිනයට උසාවියට අරගෙන ගියේ දෙන්නෙක් දෙපැත්තකින් උස්සාගෙන ඒ නිසා මට උසාවියට යන්න ඉඩක් ලැබුණෙ ම නෑ. ඇඳක වැතිරිලා මුළු කාලෙම බෙහෙත් බැඳගෙනයි හිටියේ...” මේ කතාව අපට කියන ජයලත් බණ්ඩාර තවදුරටත් පවසන පරිදි; නිසි ප්‍රතිකාර ලබා ගත්තේ නම් ඔහුට සුවය ලැබීමට ඉඩ කඩ තිබුණේලු. එහෙත් අනපේක්ෂිත ලෙස තෙවරක්ම ඒ අවස්ථා අහිමි වී යන්නේ ආර්ථික දුෂ්කරතා නිසා වරින් වර ප්‍රතිකාර නතර කරන්නට සිදු වීමෙනි. ”හොරිවිල වෙද මහත්තයා තමයි අන්තිමට මාව බාර ගත්තේ. අමාරුව හොඳ කරන්න පුළුවන් කියලා වෙද මහත්තයා කිව්වා. කාලයක් නතර වෙලා ප්‍රතිකාර ගත්තා. ඒ අතර තමයි නඩු තීන්දුව ලැබුණේ. අන්තිමට මට නතර වෙන්න සිද්ධ වුණේ හිර ගෙදර.” 2002 ජූලි 27 ජයලත් ගේ පවුලේ සියලු දෙනාට ම අමතක නොවන දවසකි. ගම්පහ ප්‍රදේශයේ ඇළ මාර්ගයක නාඳුනන පුද්ගලයකු ගේ මළ සිරුරක් පාවෙමින් තිබියදී සොයා ගැනිණ. මරණය සිදු වී තිබුණේ අමානුෂික ලෙස පහර දීමෙන් සහ ගෙල සිර කිරීමෙනි. ඒ පුවත්පත් වාර්තාව ජයලත්ට කියවීමට ලැබී තිබිණ. එහෙත් ඒ ප්‍රවෘත්තිය තම පවුලට අදාළ වේයැයි ඔහු කිසිවිටෙක සිතුවේ නැත. ජයලත් පාසල් සමයේ ”මාසේ පඩිය අරගෙන අයියයි තව යාළුවෝ දෙන්නෙකුයි ගම්පහ පැත්තේ ගමනක් ගිහිං තියෙනවා. අයිය ගේ පඩි සල්ලි මංකොල්ල කෑව යාළුවෝ දෙන්නා එයාව මරලා ඇළට දාලා කියලා දැන ගන්න ලැබුණා. ඒ මැරුණේ ලොකු අයියා (චන්ද්‍රරත්න බණ්ඩාර) මේ සිද්ධියෙන් පස්සේ අපිට කරකියා ගන්න කිසිම දෙයක් නැතිව ගියා. ඒත් අයියා රස්සාව කරපු කොම්පැණියේ මහත්වරු අපිට උදවු කළා. මට රෝද පුටුවක් අරගෙන දීලා බෙහෙත් කරන්නත් ඒ අය ඉදිරිපත් වුණා. ඒත් අසනීපේ හොඳ කරන්න කලින් නඩුවේ තීන්දුව ලැබුණා. මීට කලින් අවස්ථා තුනකදීත් ප්‍රතිකා නතර කරන්න සිද්ධ වුණා. එක දිගට ඒ බෙහෙත් හේත් කළා නම් මාව සනීප කරන්න පුළුවන් කියලා වෙද මහත්වරු කිව්වා...” නියමිත පරිදි නඩු දිනවලදී අධිකරණය හමුවේ පෙනී සිටීමට නොහැකි වීම නිසා ඔහුට තවත් අවාසියක් සිදු විය. එනම් ජයලත් බණ්ඩාර නැතිව නඩු විභාගය පවත්වා ගෙන යෑමට තීරණය වීමය. ”... ඒ සිද්ධිය වුණේ 1998 පෙබරවාරි මාසෙදී. මේ නඩුවේදී වැරදිකාරයද? නිවැරදිකාරයද? කියන ප්‍රශ්නයටවත් පිළිතුරක් දෙන්න මට ඉඩක් ලැබුණේ නෑ. මොකද නඩුව විභාග කෙරුණේ මම උසාවිය ඉදිරියේ පෙනී නොසිටින විත්තිකාරයෙක් හැටියට සලකලයි. හැබැයි ඉතිං ඒක මගේත් කැමැත්තෙන් වුණ තීරණයක්. අපේ නඩුව විභාග කෙරුණේ බදුල්ල මහාධිකරණයේ. තීන්දුව දෙන්න සති දෙක තුනකට කලින් හිතා ගන්න බැරි දෙයක් වුණා. අපි වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී හිටිය නීතිඥයා නඩුවෙන් ඉවත් වුණා. 2003.10.14 දා තීන්දුව දුන්නා. අපි හතර දෙනාම වැරදිකාරයෝ හැටියට එල්ලා මරන්න තීන්දු කෙරුණා. මේ තීන්දුවත් එක්කම මම, පොඩි අයියා (ධර්ම කීර්ති බණ්ඩාර) තාත්තා, අංක 35 කියන ෂෙල් එකට දැම්මා. අපි ඇපෑලක් ඉදිරිපත් කළා. නමුත් 2007 මාර්තු 16 දා අභියාචනාධිකරණයෙනුත් ඒ තීන්දුවම අනුමත කෙරුණා. මේ සිද්ධියත් එක්කම අම්ම ගේ ඔළුවේ නහරයක් පිපිරිලා සති ගණනක් සිහි නැතුව ඉඳලා අන්තිමට අම්මා මැරුණා. ගත වුණේ මාස දෙකයි හිර ගෙදරදී තාත්තා ඇදගෙන වැටුණා. ආපහු නැගිට්ටේ නෑ. තාත්තත් නැති වුණා. අන්තිමට ඉතුරු වුණේ මමයි පොඩි අයියයි විතරයි. අද පොඩි අයියා වැලිකඩ මරණ දඬුවම නියම වුණ ෂෙල් එකක ඉන්නවා. මම බෝගම්බර හිර ගෙදර මරණ දඬුවම නියම වුණ ෂෙල් එකක ඉන්නවා.” ජයලත් බණ්ඩාර ගේ කතාව තවමත් අවසාන නැත. මව සහ ඥාති සොහොයුරියෝ අපේ ලොකු අයිය ගේ අතින් අපරාධයක් වුණා. වරදට දඬුවමක් තියෙන්න ඕනේ. එයාගෙත් ජීවිතේ නැති වුණා. නමුත් මේ සිද්ධිය වෙත්දී මට අවුරුදු 14 යි. මම නිර්දෝෂයි කියලා ලෝකෙට ඇහෙන්න කෑගහලා කිව්වත් වැඩක් නැති බව මම දන්නවා. නමුත් මට පොලීසියේදී වගේම උසාවියේදීත් නීතිඥ සහාය හරියට ලැබුණේ නෑ. අනිත් පැත්තෙන් මම සදාකාලික අබ්බගාතයෙක්. ජීවිතයේ කවදාවත් තනියම හිට ගන්න, අඩියක් වත් ඇවිදින්න මට වාසනාවක් නෑ. දැන් අවුරුදු නවයක් මම මරණ දණ්ඩනය නියම වුණු හිරකාරයෙක් හැටියට මේ ෂෙල් එකට කොටු වෙලා ජීවත් වෙනවා. හැබැයි මෙහෙම ඉන්නවට වඩා එල්ලලා මරණවා නං ඒක සැපයි...” ”මාව මේ නඩුවට පැටලෙව්වේ වැල්ලවායේ පොලීසිය. ඒක වෙනම කතාවක්. එදා පොලීසිය සාධාරණව ක්‍රියා කළා නං මට මෙහෙම විඳවන්න වෙන්නේ නෑ. අනිත් පැත්තෙන් මට නඩුවට පෙනී ඉන්න හැටියක් තිබුණෙත් නෑ. මේ අපේ මුළු පවුලෙන්ම පළිගන්න අටවපු කෝන්තරයක් බව අපි පසුව දැන ගත්තා..” ජයලත් බණ්ඩාරට තවක් කීමට බොහෝ දේ ඇති බැව් පෙනිණ. එහෙත් කතාව අවසන් කළ යුතුය. ”දැන් මගේ වයස අවුරුදු 33 යි. ඒත් මේ මරණ දණ්ඩනය නියම වුණු අනිත් අයට වඩා මම වෙනස්. මාත් එක්කම මරණ දණ්ඩනයට නියම වෙලා මේ ෂෙල් එකේ ඉන්න යාළුවෝ නැතුව මට බොන්න වතුර ටිකක් වත් ගන්න විදිහක් නෑ. කෑම ටික ගෙනත් දෙන්නේ – ඉඳුල් පිඟාන හෝදලා තියන්නේ - වෙන එකක් තියා මම වැසිකිළියට පවා යන්නේ ඒ අය ගේ අත් උදව්වෙන්. සමහර වෙලාවට මළ මුත්‍ර ඒ අයගේ ඇඟ පතෙත් ගෑවෙනවා. නමුත් මේ මිනිස්සු මට මනුස්සයෙක් වගේ ජීවත් වෙන්න උදවු කරනවා. කොටින්ම කිව්වොත් නිදා ගන්න බිමට වැටෙන්නත් – බිමට වැටිලා නිදිය ගෙන පහු වෙනිදාට නැඟිට ගන්නත් මට කාගේ හරි අත් වාරුවක් ඕනේමයි. එල්ලලා මරණවනං මීට වඩා හොඳයි කිව්වේ ඒ නිසයි... (ඔහු කතාව නතර කොට විනාඩියක් පමණ නිහඬව සිටියේය.) ”... මැරෙන එකත් ප්‍රශ්නයක්... එල්ලලා මරණවා නං එල්ලුම්ගහට යන්න වෙන්නෙත් තව දෙන්නෙක් ගේ කරේ එල්ලිලා... ඒකත් මදි නේ... බෙල්ලට තොණ්ඩුව දාලා එල්ලුම් ගහ ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙනකං ඒ අයට මාව උත්සගෙන ඉන්නත් වෙනවා. මොකද මට තනියම කෙළින් හිටගෙන ඉන්න බැරි නිසා... කොටින්ම මට තව කාගේ හරි උදව්වක් නැතිව එල්ලුම්ගහටවත් යන්න බෑ...” එසේ කී ජයලත් බණ්ඩාර සිනාසුණේය. ඒ සිනහව අමුතුය. මම තිගැස්සී ගියෙමි. ගතේ හිරිගඩු පිපෙන තරමට මා තිගැස්සුණේ ඇයි? ඊටත් ජයලත් සිනාසුණේ කාටද? ජයලත් ගේ සහෝදරියක් වැල්ලවාය ප්‍රදේශයේ ජීවත් වෙන බව අසන්නට ලැබිණ. මම ඇයට කතා කළෙමි. ”ජයලත් ගේ පිංතූරයක් හොයා ගන්න පුළුවන්ද?” ”පුංචිම කාලේ ගත්ත පිංතූරයක් විතරයි තියෙන්නේ. මල්ලී කවදා හරි දවසක ගෙදර එනතුරු මතක් වෙන්න තියෙන්නේ එච්චරයි...” කේ. සී. ජේ. රත්නායක කර්තෘට ලියන්න | මුද්‍රණය සඳහා

 

Rizana Nafeek,:Sri Lankan government plans to send a special delegation to seek clemency

 

 By MD RASOOLDEEN | ARAB NEWS

Published: Jul 1, 2011 22:52 Updated: Jul 1, 2011 22:52

COLOMBO: On an initiative made by Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem, the Sri Lankan government plans to send a special delegation to seek clemency for Rizana Nafeek, the housemaid who was sentenced to death by a high court in Saudi Arabia for the murder of a four-month-old infant in her care.

A three-member bench at the Dawadmi High Court, some 380 km from the capital, sentenced Nafeek for killing the baby she was entrusted to look after in the absence of her Saudi employers at home. She maintains that the newborn choked during bottle feeding and that she tried to seek help.
Nafeek entered the Kingdom as a minor (aged 17) to work as a maid on documents forged by her recruiter to work as a maid. She was then assigned nanny duties by the family.
Hakeem said he discussed Nafeek’s issue with the Saudi delegation, which attended  the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) that concluded in Colombo on Friday.
The Sri Lankan minister sought the release of Nafeek on humanitarian grounds considering thepoor circumstances of her family. However, Mansoor Al-Ghaffari, leader of the Saudi delegation at the AALCO meeting and adviser to the minister of justice, and Farook Wazir Ali, charge d’affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Colombo, said the Shariah is supreme. In cases deemed to be homicide, the state cannot intervene on the private rights of the next of kin. To spare the condemned the death penalty, the family must either forgive her or come to a blood-money settlement, which often involves a reconciliation committee and financial help from charitable individuals or institutions.
Hakeem has requested a meeting with the victim’s  family and the respective tribal leaders to seek reconciliation. The minister said that he could also arrange for the blood money in the event financial compensation is requested in return for private clemency from the family.
Basil Fernando, director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, which has been active in this case, had also sent an appeal to all foreign missions based in the Kingdom to exercise their influence to negotiate a pardon from the parents.
It is illegal for a foreign resident under the age of 18 to work in the Kingdom. And anyone who criminally facilitates such an act — such as forging identity papers to acquire a visa — is a human trafficker. As of yet there have been no charges filed in Sri Lanka pertaining to this crime.
It is believed that a facilitator in Sri Lanka forged Nafeek's age in order to send her to the Kingdom as a housemaid.
Saudi Arabia is a signatory to an international agreement not to put to death people who have committed capital crimes as minors. However, when the pledge was signed the Saudi government underscored at the time that it could not and would not contradict Shariah rules on private rights and administering capital punishment under Islamic law.
This leaves minors at the mercy of the next of kin in cases that are ruled homicide. The defense has argued that the crime was accidental death, but the court struck down that argument and sided with the family in its claim Rizana maliciously murdered their infant.

Mothers and Daughters of Lanka asked the Sri Lanka government to intervene

By Nabeela Hussain
The Mothers and Daughters of Lanka (MDL) Organisation yesterday asked the government to intervene in order to save the life of imprisoned Sri Lankan maid Rizana Nafeek in Saudi Arabia.
The Organization also asked the government to put in place laws that will ensure the safety of the women who leave the country for work as it is they who bring in most of the foreign currency.
“It is the women who suffer and work hard to bring in so much of foreign currency not only from abroad but also in the free trade zones and the hill country,” said Convenor of MDL Padmini Weerasooriya. She pointed out that it was the responsibility of the government to ensure the safety of the women who go abroad  as they are the main foreign currency earners.
Ms. Weerasooriya also asked that those responsible for her plight be brought forward and be punished before the law.
“We believe that the agency that sent her needs to be prosecuted for what they have done,” she said.
“We also ask the King of Saudi Arabia and the family that she worked for to forgive her and not to execute,” Ms. Weerasooriya said.
The Organisation implored that the sentence for Rizana Nafeek be lessened.
Source: Daily  Mirror On line edition 
http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/front-page-news/48868.html

Demonstration for Rizana

 

Sri Lanka [28th June 2011] A demonstrations was held outside the Saudi embassy in Colombo, urging that a Sri Lankan maid in Saudi Arabia be released from prison where a death sentence is hanging over her.

She was convicted of murdering a baby in her care but insists she is innocent and her parents say she was in any case legally a child when the alleged killing took place.

Charles Haviland reporting from Colombo said that about 100 Sri Lankans – including women’s’ rights and Muslim campaigners and politicians – staged a protest at the embassy, urging that the young maid, Rizana Nafeek, be released from her Saudi jail and spared the executioner’s sword.

They stressed that Sri Lankan women should be stopped from migrating to the Kingdom for domestic work.

There is increased anxiety in Sri Lanka about Rizana Nafeek’s case because an Indonesian maid, also convicted of a killing in Saudi Arabia, was recently executed.

But Sri Lanka’s minister of foreign employment, Dilan Perera, says Nafeek’s death sentence is in fact currently suspended and that Colombo is still trying to save her life through a pardon.

“This incident needs to be handled with caution and should not be exploited for political gain, “Minister Perera said.

The minister said that opposition parliamentarians are trying to exploit this issue while the government is continuing its efforts to obtain pardon for Rizana
Source: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2011/06/110628_colomborizana.shtml

Rizana Nafeek: Medieval Murder in Modern Times

By Daily Mail Reporter
26 June 2011 
A young maid is facing death by beheading in Saudi Arabia for a crime she claims she did not commit.
Rizana Nafeek, who alleges she was a teenager at the time of the incident, was arrested in May 2005 on charges of murdering a four-month-old baby who was in her care.
The Sri-Lankan born maid denies murder and claims she desperately tried to save the child, who choked while she was looking after it.
The news comes just days after Indonesia announced it would ban women from travelling to the kingdom for domestic work after another maid was beheaded there

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008273/Medieval-murder-modern-times-Sri-Lankan-born-Rizana-Nafeek-faces-death-beheading-Saudi-Arabia.html#ixzz1Qa4tXjgk

 

Over 250 detainees escaped from Sri Lanka prisons in 2010

June 23, Colombo:
The Prisons Department of Sri Lanka says that last year over 250 detainees had escaped from the country's prisons.
The Prisons Department's Performance Report for 2010 that has been presented to Parliament states that 251 detainees had escaped from prisons around the country with the highest escapes of 43 being recorded from the Welikada Prison in Colombo.
The other inmates who have escaped are 14 inmates from Bogambara, 21 from Mahara, 13 from Watarekka and 26 from Pallekele.
The report has also stated that persons in remand prison have also escaped.
Meanwhile, 15,839 prisoners had been granted amnesties in 2010 and 12,861 prisoners have been released under the prisons' general amnesty.
Sri Lanka's Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation Ministry has meanwhile, initiated prison reforms aimed at easing the congestion in prisons island wide.
Source: Colombo Page 

Sri Lanka: Death Row Prisoners Go On Hunger Strike

By Charles Haviland BBC News, Colombo

Hundreds of prisoners on death row or serving life in jail in Sri Lanka are staging a hunger strike.

They are trying to try to persuade the government to set them free or commute their sentences.
Around 600 prisoners at Columbo's Welikada jail refused food on Monday, and there are reports of similar protests in two other prisons.
Despite the large number of prisoners on death row, Sri Lanka has not carried out capital punishment since 1977.
However, in the late 1990s it suspended a process whereby sentences used to be regularly commuted, so many inmates have no idea what the future holds.
The head of the prisons service, Maj-Gen V.R. de Silva, told the BBC that more than 600 of the 4,000 prisoners at the high-security Welikada prison had refused food on Monday morning.
Twenty were demonstrating on the prison roof. There are reports of similar protests, also involving large numbers, in two jails outside Colombo.
The number involved has grown since last Thursday, when more than 100 prisoners started a demonstration demanding that the authorities rescind their death sentences.
Maj-Gen de Silva said the protesting prisoners are convicted of crimes including murder, rape and drug-trafficking.
They are said to be unhappy that they were not included in a general amnesty implemented for more than 800 more minor offenders a week ago.
The wheels of justice move notoriously slowly in Sri Lanka and the jails are said to be severely overcrowded, with poor conditions.
Source: bbc news 23 May 2011

Three Sri Lanka Army men sentence to death

By Farook Thajudeen
The Colombo High Court yesterday imposed the death sentence on three soldiers who were found guilty of the abduction, rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman in Jaffna in 1996. The three soldiers, Gamini Saman Uyanage, A. P. Sarathchandra and D. Gamage Kithsiri were indicted for the abduction and murder of Valaudan Pillai Rajini in Kondavil on or around October 30, 1996. Gamini Saman Uyanage and D. Gamage Kithsiri were also indicted for the rape of the 22-year-old woman.
High Court judge P. W. D. C. Jayatilake imposed the death sentence on the three accused when the seven-member jury found them guilty of the murder. 
State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama appeared for the prosecution. 
Source: Daily  Mirror 31 March  2011