‘Sleepless nights awaiting fateful Fridays’
Inmates awaiting punishments in al-Hair prison in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia do not usually sleep on Thursdays as the fateful Friday arrives.
“I could not sleep whole night yesterday,” said DD Ranjith de Silva, a Sri Lankan sentenced to death by Saudi authotiries. He called BBC Sandeshaya (BBC Sinhala) on a Friday morning from his prison cell at No.9 ward as I arrived to work. “Every Friday, decapitations and amputations are carried out in front of all the inmates. For months, we haven’t been sleeping on Thursdays as it is always uncertain who the next victim is.” Unlike in Sri Lanka, the inmates are allowed to use telephones in Saudi Arabia provided they have money to pay for the telephone booths. PM’s pledge Three Sri Lankans EJ Victor Corea, Sanath Pushpakumara and de Silva were sentenced to death for carrying fire arms and threatening civilians. All three accept the charges but maintain that the offence is not punishable with death. “The Sri Lankan embassy did not provide us with legal assistance when it was necessary. When they intervened, it was too late.” Ranjith de Silva said he spoke to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse who promised to do “everything possible” to save their lives. “We have faith in the Prime Minister. The embassy officials are also working hard now. But the message is yet to be conveyed to His Excellency the King who has the final say.” HR organisations De Silva said they did not have a fair trial due to lack of legal representation. He requested human rights organisations such as Amnesty International (AI) and United Nations Human Rights Commission to urge the Saudi authorities to save their lives. De Silva says they are not asking for an amnesty but a suitable punishment for the offence sparing their lives. “Let it be 25 years. At least our loved ones would know we’ll be coming home some day.” Protests Human rights activist criticised the government's attitude saying President Kumaratunga's intervention would save the lives of three Sri Lankans. “Our inquiries into the workings of the Saudi Arabian system indicate clearly that if a request comes from the head of the state of the country to which the prisoners belong, it will be given a serious hearing by the highest authorities in Saudi Arabia," the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said in a statement. Activists and relatives led by film star Ranjan Ramanayake earlier handed over a petition to the Prime Minister in Colombo. PM Rajapakse said the government has been working for their release even before the protesters met him. Ramanayake said the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) should bare part of the blame for the plight of three Sri Lankans.