Colombo appeals against stoning of Sri Lankan woman in Riyadh

Colombo has appealed the death sentence handed to a Sri Lankan woman in Riyadh for adultery.

Upul Deshapriya, spokesman of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), was quoted as telling Arab News that the maid was recently sentenced to death after being found guilty of having an illicit affair with a Sri Lankan bachelor.

He said the Saudi court ordered the man be punished with 100 lashes.

The report quoted a government official in Colombo as saying the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh has contacted the Saudi authorities to explore the possibilities of reviewing the verdict. He said the ministry was making efforts to save the housemaid’s life.

Sources from Colombo quoted in the report said the convicted woman is married and has children in Sri Lanka.

Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Athukorala’s media secretary Nalin Rajapaksha was quoted as telling Arab News: “Since she has pleaded guilty, we are unable to request the Saudi government to lift the sentence. Therefore, our minister Athukorala filed an appeal before the Riyadh Court requesting it to reduce the punishment. The ministry has already made lawyers’ payments through the Saudi Embassy in Sri Lanka".