give a statement to the effect that I strangled the infant and electrocuted, I would be killed. In these circumstances, I under duress placed my signature on the written paper they gave to me. They took me to another place and asked a question, as I was virtually in a state with loss of memory and in fear and frightened mood, I had happened to tell them that I strangled the infant. In the name of Allah, I swear and aver that I never strangled the infant." Death sentence Nafeek was imprisoned and sentenced to death on 16 June 2007. The President of Sri Lanka twice personally requested a pardon for Nafeek from the King of Saudi Arabia. Human rights activists held many demonstrations calling for her release. In October 2010, according to a senior official of Sri Lanka's external affairs ministry, Charles, Prince of Wales, appealed to the Saudi King, seeking clemency for Nafeek. The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission appealed to Queen Elizabeth II to intervene and plead for clemency for Nafeek on her diamond jubilee. Execution Nafeek was beheaded on 9 January 2013, despite an appeal from the government of Sri Lanka. Reactions Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan Parliament observed a moment of silence soon after it received the news of the execution. UNP, the main opposition party of Sri Lanka, held a special media briefing hours after the execution. In that media briefing the opposition MP Ranjan Ramanayake described the Saudi government as "dictators" and emphasized that the Saudi government never executes citizens of European or North American countries but only the citizens from Asian and African countries. The United Nations UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, United Nations independent experts and the world body's human rights office voiced their dismay over the execution of Nafeek. Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in Geneva, "We are deeply troubled by reports of irregularities in her detention and trial, including that no lawyer was present to assist her in key stages of her interrogation and trial, that language interpretation was poor, and Ms. Nafeek’s contention that she was physically assaulted and forced to sign a confession under duress". The Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan Méndez, noted that during the appeal of the case, the defence submitted that Nafeek was beaten and made to sign a confession under duress.