Thousands at special prayers for Rizana

Thousands of Muslims in Trincomalee gathered for a special payer service for the Sri Lankan maid sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan housemaid, was arrested in May 2005 on charges of killing an infant in her care.

Last week her death sentence was upheld by Riyadh’s Supreme Court and awaits ratification from King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

“We are asking the god to fill the hearts and minds of the infant’s parents with compassion and sympathy,” a social worker who participated in the prayer service in Muttur, Kabir Mohamed Taafic told Sandeshaya.

“Nothing could be done unless the child’s parents pardon Rizana, if they do that Rizana can be freed from the death sentence” he said.

Rizana had originally confessed to the killing the four-month-old Saudi boy in 2005 but later retracted her statement saying it had been made under duress. She was a minor - 17 years old - at the time this happened and been in custody since 2005.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has already appealed to the King asking him to exercise clemency towards Rizana and many international human rights organisation, including Amnesty International are also campaigning on behalf of her. – (BBC)