Rizana Nafeek is scheduled to be beheaded on July 16, 2007.  She is a 19 year Sri Lankan maid who migrated to Saudi Arabia seeking a better life through employment.  She was barely 17 when she immigrated to be a nanny in 2005, although her forged identification documents stated she was 23.  Eighteen days after she arrived in the country, the four month infant she babysat began choking. Nafeek tried to massage and stroke the child, while she screamed frantically to the child’s mom for help.  Despite all her efforts, the child still died.

Following the incident the child’s family pressed charges against the Nafeek claiming that she strangled the child to death.   The police arrested the girl and interrogated her without procuring a translator for her.  After much coercion the girl signed a confession admitting to strangling the infant to death.  However, when she was given access to a translator at a later time, through the translator she denied strangling the baby and tried to explain what had actually happened.  She also refused to sign a second confession to causing the child’s death.  However, when trying the case the court only contemplated the girl’s first confession to decide her verdict.  She was given no legal representation by either Saudi Arabia or Sri Lanka and was condemned to death by decapitation by the court. 

Nafeek is one of the many young South Asian girls who have migrated to the Middle East seeking employment.   These migrants have benefited their home nation greatly by sending money to family.  For example, there are about 400,000 Sri Lankans working in Saudi Arabia alone.  (UPI Asia Online.)   These workers ought to be protected in court, especially in capital punishment cases.  They need to be protected either by their home nation, or the home nation needs to pressure the sponsoring nation to represent these workers.  Otherwise, it will continue to create more situations where undeserving hired workers will die, and live in fear.

UPI Asia Online.  Commentary: Teenager’s beheading tests Saudi’s sharia law. 13 July 2007.

Des Moines Register. Basu: Tried without a lawyer, teen about to be beheaded. 13 July 2007.

Arab News. Initial Legal Fees Paid for Filing Sri Lankan Maid Appeal. 13 July 2007.

Arab News.  Lankans Appeal to Victim’s Father. 14 July 2007.

International Herald Tribune. Sri Lankan housemaid on death row highlights a surge in Saudi beheadings. 13 July 2007.