A top Saudi official has asked the Sri Lankan government to appeal directly for a pardon to the family of the baby allegedly killed by underage Sri Lankan maid Rizana Nafeeka, the Arab Times reported yesterday.

An Arab Times news story filed from Riyadh said: Prince Khaled ibn Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation for military affairs, made the comments during a meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow 2008, which concluded last week.

Prince Khaled was speaking about Rizana Nafeek, who was convicted of killing a Saudi baby under her care and sentenced to death by a court in Dawadmi on June 16, 2007. Nafeek — who denies killing the baby saying that the baby choked while she was feeding it — is currently appealing the verdict.

Nafeek, who was below the eligible working age when she arrived in the Kingdom to work as a maid, had her birth date on her passport falsified by a recruiter.

Prince Khaled assured Bogollagama of the Saudi government’s support and indicated that it was the practice of the Saudi authorities to persuade the victim’s family to offer clemency. He added that the matter of granting clemency ultimately lies with the victim’s family.

The prince also said that the law applies to everyone in Saudi Arabia, including the royal family, and highlighted an incident last year when one of his relatives was saved minutes before execution when the victim’s family granted clemency.