Sri Lankan Catholic risks decapitation, Blood money to save him

February 16, 2013: The life of Vengadaslam Sudeshkar, a Sri Lankan Tamil Catholic sentenced to death for murder in Qatar, is worth 3.5 million rupees (20,600 euro). This is the ransom, or blood money, being requested by the family of the victim, a young man of Indian origin, to avoid the young Sri Lankan's execution by beheading. His family, however, is very poor: most of sum is being covered by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), but to date there are still 700 thousand rupees, to be collected by the end of February.

The fact dates back to 2011: Sudeshkar, 22, was in Qatar looking for a job and found one in a fruit market. One day a discussion broke out with an Indian Tamil friend ​​who worked with him: the quarrel intensified, and the Sri Lankan stabbed his colleague to death. The police arrested Sudeshkar, who was convicted and sentenced to death December 31, 2012.

The young Sri Lankan admittted his guilt from the outset: thus his mother Mangalasamy Pungodi could get in touch with the victim's family, who accepted the offer of money to release the boy and prevent him being beheaded. However, so far the mother and the AHRC have managed to collect only 2.8 million rupees (16,500 euro). "Unfortunately - explains the NGO to AsiaNews - we cannot leave the matter in the hands of the Government of Sri Lanka. We do not want to repeat what happened to Rizana Nafeek."

The young girl Rizana was executed on 9 January in Saudi Arabia for the alleged murder of a newborn. She had spent almost six years on death row.

To help raise money, you can contact the Asian Human Rights Commission at [e-mail].