RIZANA APPEAL

Here's a sample letter published by Asian Human Rights Commission to send to the Sri Lankan embassy in Saudi to be forwerded to Mr. Naif Jiziyan Khklafal Otaibi, the father of the unfortunate infant. By Saudi law, the family can stop the death sentence. You can e-mail the appeal here: lankaemb@shabakah.net.sa


Mr. Naif Jiziyan Khklafal Otaibi
Ministry of Finance, Riyadh
C/O Sri Lankan Embassy
P.O. Box 94360
Riyadh 19693
Saudi Arabia


Here's a sample letter written by the Asian Human rights Commission:

Dear Mr. Otaibi,

May the peace of God be upon you during this time of grief in your family. I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to you and your wife over the loss of your child.
The loss of any life is a tragedy, and it is in this spirit that I share with you my concerns for the life of the teenage girl Naffeek Rizana.
Naffeek Rizana comes from an extremely poor family in the war-torn eastern part of Sri Lanka where many people, including the Muslim community, are facing grave economic and other daily hardships. Due to this, many underage young people are sent to other countries for employment in order to feed their impoverished families.
Naffeek Rizana was born on February 4, 1988. The individuals who recruited her for employment in your country altered her date of birth to February 2, 1982, and obtained a passport for her to travel to Saudi Arabia. At the time of her employment in your household, she was therefore still a teenager without any experience of looking after a baby. My understanding is that her inexperience resulted in the accidental death of your child and that this was not an intentional act to harm your family.
I am therefore writing this letter to appeal to your compassion to pardon and forgive the teenage girl Naffeek Rizana who is now facing a death sentence. It is to your compassion and understanding that I appeal in the hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive this unfortunate girl.

Yours sincerely,

XXX XXX