Arab News
RIYADH, Jan 28: A court in Jeddah yesterday gave three Asian workers, sentenced to death in relation to the murder of an elderly Saudi woman during an armed burglary, seven days to appeal the verdict.
Those condemned to death include Haleema Nissa Cader, a Sri Lankan national, Naushad, her Indian husband, and K.M.S. Bandaranaike, also a Sri Lankan. Cader has an eight-year-old son and is from Kantalai, 300 km from the Sri Lankan capital. Her husband, Naushad, is from Tamil Nadu. The couple lived in Jeddah before their arrest. Bandaranaike is from Kurunegala and is married to Henelle Menike, who lives in Sri Lanka.
Another five Sri Lankans — including two women — have also been sentenced to five years in jail and 500 lashes for their part in the burglary and death. They include Singarayar Calithar Wimaladas from Trincomalee, Abdul Basheer Mohamed from Mathurankuli, Puttalam, Amir Jabbar from Sammanthurai, Rismiya Abdul Haq from Kanatalai and Manickam Kulanthaivel Rosa from Kalmunai.
They were arrested in November 2005 in connection with the armed burglary of the home of a Saudi woman called Mariam and her murder.
An oral verdict to the case was delivered in June last year, while a 15-page written verdict was given on Monday, Jan. 20. High Court Judge Faisal Al-Sheikh confirmed the verdict yesterday and said that only seven days would be given for the accused to lodge an appeal. Only the male accused were brought to court yesterday.
Speaking to Arab News, Abdul Latiff Mohammed Lafeer, Sri Lanka’s consul general in Jeddah, said that the appeal time was not enough for the accused to get the written verdict in Arabic, have it translated into English and seek legal opinion.
Lafeer said that he had sent his officials to request for an extension to the appeal period.
He added that he personally handed over a copy of the verdict yesterday to Abdullah Al-Mattani, director of the Makkah branch of Saudi Human Rights Commission seeking his organization’s assistance.
According to sources, the son of the murdered Saudi woman is not happy with the judgment and has called for the other five convicts to be given death sentences. The consul general said that those five persons have expressed fears that a higher court might change the original sentence to death in deference to the request of the slain woman’s son.
Amnesty International has already criticized the verdict delivered by the Jeddah High Court and accused Saudi authorities of imposing death sentences on two more Sri Lankans and an Indian without proper judicial procedure. “They have had no legal assistance at any time, even during trial and are believed to have confessed under duress,” said Amnesty International in a statement. On Feb. 19, 2007, four Sri Lankan migrant workers on an allegation of armed robbery were beheaded in Saudi Arabia.