Sri Lankan maid spared stoning sentence in Saudi Arabia

A Saudi Arabian court has commuted the death-by-stoning sentence passed on a Sri Lankan maid convicted of adultery, Sri Lanka’s government said on Wednesday.

The 45-year-old married mother of two would now serve a “short jail sentence”, said Harsha de Silva, Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister, without giving any further details on the exact amount of time that she would have to remain behind bars.

“We have succeeded in getting the death sentence overturned. Our concern was to make sure that the original sentence was not carried out,” de Silva told reporters in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo.

“The government of Sri Lanka wishes to acknowledge and appreciate the good offices of the Saudi authorities.

“The sympathy, understanding and the concern expressed, and assistance extended by many other parties is also noted and deeply appreciated.”

The woman, who has not been named, was convicted of adultery in August after her arrest in April last year.

She was sentenced to death by stoning, while an unmarried Sri Lankan man convicted alongside her was sentenced to 100 lashes.

De Silva said the Sri Lankan government had not appealed on behalf of the man.