A Sri Lankan maid has been beheaded in Saudi Arabia for killing a child in her care in 2005. Rizana Nafeek was convicted in 2007 of smothering 4-month-old Naif al-Quthaibi after an argument with the child’s mother, but supporters say that Nafeek was only 17 at the time of the child’s death, which would make her execution a violation of international child rights. Supporters also claimed that her initial confession was made under duress and without lawyers or linguistic assistance. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticized Saudi authorities for the handling of her case.
