RIYADH, 30 August 2007 — Sri Lankans submitted a petition yesterday to the Saudi Embassy in Colombo with over 100,000 signatures asking for a royal pardon for a Lankan housemaid on death row.

On instructions from Saudi Ambassador Muhammad Mahmud Al-Ali, three key officials from a procession demanding the release of Rizana Nafeek on humanitarian grounds were asked to come inside the mission premises to hand over the petition.

The delegation that met the envoy came in a massive march to the Saudi mission from the precincts of the Devatagaha Mosque, three kilometers from the embassy.

An onlooker on the Colombo streets told Arab News that it was a passive march by a large number of women including housewives and young girls who were working in offices and reading in colleges and universities.

“No slogans were chanted,” he added.

The petition included files containing signatures from people from several of walks of life and ethnic groups. Madurangika Koswatte, secretary of “Lakmawa Diyaniyo” (Daughters of Mother Lanka), submitted the petition to Al-Ali. Accepting the petition, the Saudi ambassador told the delegation that it will be sent to the concerned authorities through the Foreign Ministry in Riyadh. The envoy explained that the case is currently under judicial purview and he would do his best to save Rizana on humanitarian grounds.

Rizana, whose death sentence is currently being contested in appeal in the Kingdom, was sentenced to death on June 16 with financial assistance from Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).

The AHRC funded the retention of a local legal firm to speak on behalf of Rizana.

On behalf of the petitioners, Madurangika thanked the Saudi ambassador for the audience and said that she never expected such a good response from the mission in Colombo for this public plea.

“Lakmawa Diyaniyo is a women’s organization. It has struggled not only to save Rizana but has confronted even bigger issues. Hence, we call upon everyone to cooperate with the organization to rescue enslaved women from wherever they are,” Madurangika said.

She said e-mails have been sent to Saudi Foreign Ministry and the embassy in Sri Lanka to reconsider the court verdict. Madurangika stated that government of Sri Lanka has failed to take any diplomatic efforts regarding the matter, adding that the government should mediate in the matter diplomatically, not legally.

She said measures have been taken to request several international organizations to intervene in the humanitarian matter. “We have taken measures to present a petition to the president. We call upon the president to use diplomatic means to get Rizana released. Also, we would not hesitate to take this issue to Human Rights Commission of the UN and International Court of Justice,” said Madurangika. “While taking measures to save Rizana, our society also asks us to strike out the reasons that exist in our society that dragged Rizana to such a pathetic fate.”

She pointed out that the job agents, immigration officials and related government departments should be held responsible for this major lapse that led Rizana to this state.

Nalani Kalpitiya, member of the Organizing Committee of Lakmawa Diyaniyo, said the signatures were collected between Aug. 20 and Aug. 25 to the petition demanding the release of Rizana.

Hussein Bhaila, deputy minister of foreign affairs who is currently on an official visit to Kuwait, told Arab News that the government has still not lost its hope in Rizana’s case.

“While respective of the laws of the host country, we are hopeful that she will be pardoned on humanitarian grounds,” he said, stressing that he is prepared to come again to the Kingdom to make a personal plea to the victim’s father, if necessary.