[RE: UP-38-2005: SAUDI ARABIA/SRI LANKA: Please send a letter to the King of Saudi Arabia urging his intervention to commute the death sentence of three Sri Lankans; UP-34-2005: Death sentence for three migrant workers requires urgent intervention; AS-36-2005: The Government of Sri Lanka must take a more proactive stance to save the lives of three Sri Lankans on death row in Saudi Arabia; UA-49-2005: Death sentence to migrant workers requires urgent intervention by the Sri Lankan government]
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC0 has received unconfirmed information that those three Sri Lankan migrant workers, who were sentenced to death by the Saudi Arabian High Court, are facing imminent execution. The families of the three men are very worried about the lives of these three men after hearing this news.
We again call for your urgent action to save the lives of these three Sri Lankan men. Please send a letter to the His Excellency the King of Saudi Arabia seeking his intervention to commute the death sentence passed on the three Sri Lankan persons.
Please also send a letter to the President of Sri Lanka to make a plea to the His Excellency the King of Saudi Arabia regarding the death sentences of these men. We believe that His Excellency the King of Saudi Arabia might be inclined to accept a plea from the President of Sri Lanka. Sample letters are attached below.
SAMPLE LETTER 1: (To His Excellency the King of Saudi Ariabia)
Your Royal Highness,
Re: Imminent death for the three Sri Lankan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia
I am writing to you pleading for your clemency for the lives of three Sri Lankan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, namely Mr E. J. V. Corea, D.D. Ranjith de Silva and Sanath Pushpakumara, who are currently detained at Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh, facing death sentences for the alleged charge of armed robbery.
I am most concerned that these three persons have not been able to defend themselves properly in a court of law. According to the information I have received, there was no lawyer representing them and no witnesses were called to the stand during the court proceedings. The family claims that after the trial ended, the three Sri Lankan men were asked to sign a document in Arabic which they do not understand at all but in fact stated their acceptance to the death sentence.
I plead for Your Excellency’s mercy and ask that you commute these person’s death sentences. I have faith in you and in the compassionate nature of Islam. All three men are married and have children to support. Ranjith Silva is the only son in a family of five and has his one son. Victor Corea and Sanath Pushpakumara both have two children. I most fervently hope that Your Excellency will save the lives of these three persons and thereby the lives of their families by pardoning them from the death sentence.
Yours truly,
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Send a letter to:
King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Royal Court, Riyadh
SAUDI ARABIA
Tel: + 966 1 401 1944 (for Ministry of interior)
Fax: + 966 1 403 1185 (for Ministry of interior)
Salutation: Your Royal Highness
SAMPLE LETTER 2: (To the President of Sri Lanka)
Dear Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga,
Re: Imminent death for the three Sri Lankan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia
I seek your urgent intervention in relation to the lives of three migrant workers from Sri Lanka facing imminent death in Saudi Arabia. Mr E. J. V. Corea, D.D. Ranjith de Silva and Sanath Pushpakumara, are all facing death sentences in Saudi Arabia for the charge of theft. They are all currently being detained at Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh.
They were involved in a robbery and arrested by the Riyadh police on 10 March 2004. They were sentenced to death on the charges of possession of illegal firearms and attempted robbery by the Saudi Arabia High Court.
However, it is reported that the three men did not get a fair trial. There was no lawyer representing them during the court proceedings. During two court hearings, no witnesses were called to the stand. Their families only received this news from the Foreign Employment Bureau several months later. In addition, the family claimed that after the trial ended, the three men were asked to sign a document in Arabic, stating their acceptance to the death sentence. Only Ranjith Silva reportedly refused to place his signature.
It is very clear that these persons would not receive death sentences in Sri Lanka if the same charges were brought in a Sri Lankan court. I strongly believe that the King of Saudi Arabia might be inclined to accept a plea from Your Excellency regarding the death sentences of these men. I therefore kindly request you to contact the King of Saudi Arabia and plea for the mercy of these three men.
Yours truly,
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Send a letter to:
Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
President
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo-1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 333 703
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
