Sri Lanka is still awaiting a written judgment on the ruling regarding the case involving two Sri Lankans who are facing execution in Jeddah over having an illicit affair.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hussain Bhaila told Daily Mirror that the government would appeal to the sentence only after the written judgment is delivered by the Jeddah Court. “It is only after this that there can be some development to the case. Ofourse we will appeal to the sentence,” Minister Bhaila said.

He added that the Sri Lanka Consulate in Jeddah was monitoring the case and keeping the Foreign Ministry informed on the details. He further said that consular services had been provided to the suspects by the Sri Lankan government.

Two Sri Lankans, a male and a female, were arrested by the police after being caught having an illicit affair late last month.

Both Sri Lankan nationals were married to foreigners when a complaint was lodged against them with the Jeddah Police. “Both of them have been charged under the country’s criminal law,” Minister Bhaila said.

The case was taken up for hearing in early March during which the judge informed the two accused that a death sentence had been passed on both of them. However the judge had said both their statements would be heard at the next hearing after which she would officially announce the death sentence and give a date for the sentence to be carried out.

This is not the first time that Sri Lankan nationals have been handed down death sentences. In January 2008, two Sri Lankan migrant workers including a Muslim woman and her husband, a migrant worker from India, had been sentenced to death in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile Minister Bhaila said that the Rizana Rafeek case had been put off indefinitely by the Saudi Court due to the failure of having a translator preset during the hearings. Furthermore the Saudi Court had also called for a person who could vouch for the competency of the translator if one was present during the hearings. “Due to the absence of the translator and another person who could vouch for the competency of the translator, the case has been out off indefinitely by the Saudi Court,” Minister Bhaila said.

He added that the government would continue to appeal once the case is taken up for hearing once again.

Amnesty International last year accused Saudi authorities of imposing death sentences without a proper judicial procedure and criticized verdicts delivered by the Jeddah High Court.