The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you of an incredibly urgent situation regarding regarding migrant worker, Mr. Edirisinghe Jayasooriyage Victor Corea, a Sri Lankan citizen (Sri Lankan Passport No. L 0997284), who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for an alleged charge of theft. Presently he is being held in Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh.
We need your urgent action to intervention to save this man’s life.
Mr. Edirisinghe Jayasooriyage Victor Corea (Sri Lankan Passport No. L 0997284), a migrant worker and a Sri Lankan citizen, is currently facing the death sentence in Saudi Arabia for an alleged charge of theft. Presently he is being held in Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh.
According to the information given by the family, Mr. Edirisinghe is married and has two children, a nine-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter. He started work in Saudi Arabia in May, 1996. He has been worked for a company called: GLOBE MARINE SERVICES CO., P.O Box 1814, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia, Tele: +(966) 8587130; +(966) 8575043; Fax : +(966) 8587154.
The family has not been informed of all the details about his case. However, they have come to learn that Mr. Edirisinghe has been charged, along with several others, for theft and has been sentenced sentenced. According to the family, Mr. Edirisinghe did not have any legal representation at his trial. He was given only a translator and the court provided this.
The family understands that three or four other people were also sentenced to death at the same trial. According to the family the matter is now pending by way of an appeal for mercy before His Excellency, the King of Saudi Arabia, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz. The family is of the view that if the appeal is refused the date of execution may be quite imminent. The family believes that it could happen even within a period of a week. He is now located at death row.
The family has made representation to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka and after a considerable time the wife has been informed about the death sentence. However, she is unaware of any steps that the Ministry or any other authority has taken in order to save the life of Mr. Edirisinghe.
Mr. Coreas wife, U.K.G. Kumari Udugama of No: 52, Yaya 02, Rajanganaya, Anuradhapura, has appealed to Sri Lankan authorities, UN authorities and the international community urging that they take measures to save the life of Mr. Edirisinghe by intervening on his behalf with the Saudi Arabian authorities and particularly, His Excellency the King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz.
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
SAMPLE LETTER
Sample Letter 1
Letter to HRH the King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz and Minister of Interior
Your Royal Highness,
This is to plead for clemency for the life of Mr. Edirisinghe, who is now held in Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh on death row under the alleged charge of theft.
As Your Excellency will understand, being a migrant worker, this unfortunate person has not been able to defend himself. He has no legal skills of any sort. We plead for Your Excellencys mercy so that the death sentence on this person may be removed. We believe in the goodness of Your Excellency and the compassionate nature of Islam.
I most fervently hope that Your Excellencys mercy will save the life of this person and also the lives of his family. Mr. Edirisinghe comes from a poor family and the family will face destitution if they lose him.
Yours faithfully,
_____________________
Sample Letter 2
Letter to Sri Lanka authorities: President, Prime Minister and Leader of opposition
Your Excellency,
Re: The Death Sentence issued in Saudi Arabia against Mr. Edirisinghe Jayasooriyage Victor Corea
I am writing to you to urge your intervention with His Excellency, the King of Saudi Arabia and the government of Saudi Arabia to commute the death sentence pronounced against Mr. Edirisinghe by a Saudi Arabian court. He is currently located on death row in Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh and may be executed within a week.
An appeal has been made to His Excellency the King of Saudi Arabia and the Sri Lankan government, whose intervention can make a difference.
The alleged charge is one of theft and we understand that he and a few other persons have been sentenced. According to the family he was not represented by a lawyer and was only given a translator. Theft in Sri Lanka is not a crime punishable by the death sentence. We urge you to intervene with the King of Saudi Arabia and other authorities and take all possible action to save the life of Mr. Edirisinghe.
The details of the case are attached.
This Urgent Appeal is regarding a migrant worker, a Sri Lankan citizen, Mr. Edirisinghe Jayasooriyage Victor Corea, a migrant worker and Sri Lankan citizen (Sri Lankan Passport No. L 0997284), has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for an alleged charge of theft. Presently he is being held in Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh.
According to the information given by the family, Mr. Edirisinghe is married and has two children, a nine-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter. He started work in Saudi Arabia in May, 1996. He had been working for a company called: GLOBE MARINE SERVICES CO., P.O Box 1814, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia, Tele: +(966) 8587130; +(966) 8575043; Fax : +(966) 8587154.
The family has not been informed of all the details about his case. However, they have come to learn that Mr. Edirisinghe has been charged, along with several others, for theft and has been sentenced. According to the family, Mr. Edirisinghe did not have any legal representation at his trial. He was given only a translator.
The family understands that three or four other people were also sentenced to death at the same trial. According to the family the matter is now pending by way of an appeal for mercy before His Excellency, the King of Saudi Arabia, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz. The family is of the view that if the appeal is refused the date of execution may be quite imminent. The family believes that it could happen even within a period of a week. He is now located at death row.
The family has made representation to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka and after a considerable time the wife has been informed about the death sentence. However, she is unaware of any steps that the Ministry or any other authority has taken in order to save the life of Mr. Edirisinghe.
Mr. Edirisinghe’s wife is U.K.G. Kumari Udugama of No: 52, Yaya 02, Rajanganaya, Anuradhapura. She has appealed to Sri Lankan authorities, UN authorities and the international community urging that they give assistance in saving the life of her husband by intervening on his behalf with the Saudi Arabian authorities and particularly, His Excellency the King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz.
We ask that you to intervene urgently to save the life of this helpless migrant worker.
Yours truly,
——————————————–
Sample Letter 3 to UN Contacts
Your Excellency,
Re: The Death Sentence issued in Saudi Arabia against Mr. Edirisinghe Jayasooriyage Victor Corea
I am writing to you to urge your intervention with His Excellency, the King of Saudi Arabia and the government of Saudi Arabia to commute the death sentence pronounced against Mr. Edirisinghe by a Saudi Arabian court. He waits on death row in Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh and may be executed within a week.
An appeal has been made to His Excellency the King of Saudi Arabia and the Sri Lankan government, whose intervention can make a difference.
The alleged charge is one of theft and we understand that he and a few other persons have been sentenced. According to the family he was not represented by a lawyer and was only given a translator. Theft in Sri Lanka is not a crime punishable by the death sentence. We urge you to intervene with the King of Saudi Arabia and other authorities and take all possible action to save the life of Mr. Edirisinghe.
The details of the case are attached.
This Urgent Appeal is regarding a migrant worker, a Sri Lankan citizen, Mr. Edirisinghe Jayasooriyage Victor Corea, a migrant worker and Sri Lankan citizen (Sri Lankan Passport No. L 0997284), has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for an alleged charge of theft. Presently he is being held in Al Nayad Prison, in Riyadh.
According to the information given by the family, Mr. Edirisinghe is married and has two children, a nine-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter. He started work in Saudi Arabia in May, 1996. He had been working for a company called: GLOBE MARINE SERVICES CO., P.O Box 1814, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia, Tele: +(966) 8587130; +(966) 8575043; Fax : +(966) 8587154.
The family has not been informed of all the details about his case. However, they have come to learn that Mr. Edirisinghe has been charged, along with several others, for theft and has been sentenced. According to the family, Mr. Edirisinghe did not have any legal representation at his trial. He was given only a translator.
The family understands that three or four other people were also sentenced to death at the same trial. According to the family the matter is now pending by way of an appeal for mercy before His Excellency, the King of Saudi Arabia, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz. The family is of the view that if the appeal is refused the date of execution may be quite imminent. The family believes that it could happen even within a period of a week. He is now located at death row.
The family has made representation to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka and after a considerable time the wife has been informed about the death sentence. However, she is unaware of any steps that the Ministry or any other authority has taken in order to save the life of Mr. Edirisinghe.
Mr. Edirisinghe’s wife is U.K.G. Kumari Udugama of No: 52, Yaya 02, Rajanganaya, Anuradhapura. She has appealed to Sri Lankan authorities, UN authorities and the international community urging that they give assistance in saving the life of her husband by intervening on his behalf with the Saudi Arabian authorities and particularly, His Excellency the King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz.
We ask that you to intervene urgently to save the life of this helpless migrant worker.
Yours truly,
———-
Contact details:
In Saudi Arabia
1. King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Royal Court, Riyadh Saudi Arabia
E-mail:
2. HRH Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud
Minister of Interior
PO Box 2933, Riyadh 11134
Fax: +(966) 1-403 1185
In Sri Lanka
1. Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
President
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo-1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 333 703
2. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse
Prime Minister
Cambridge Place
Colombo 7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 682905 / 575454
E-mail: secpm@sltnet.lk or bradmanw@slt.lk
3. Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe
Leader of the Opposition
Parliament Sri Jayawadenepura, Kotte
Sri Lanka
Tel: +94-112-777285 / 777261
Fax: +94-112-777 257
At the United Nations:
1. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General,
United Nations Room S-3800,
New York NY 10017
U.S.A.
Fax: +1 212 963 4879/2155
E-mail: mailto:ecu@un.org
2. Louise Arbour
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
1211 Geneva 10,
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9012 / 0213
Thank you,
Asian Human Rights Commission
Urgent Appeals Program
