Saudi Arabia Executes Domestic Helper From the Philippines

(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia executed a female domestic helper from the Philippines found guilty of murder, the Asian nation’s Department of Foreign Affairs said.

The 39-year-old domestic worker was sentenced to death by the Saudi Supreme Judicial Council and executed on Jan. 29, the department said, citing information from its envoy in the Middle East country where more than 1 million Filipinos work.

“The department regrets that it was not able to save the life of the Filipina,” it said. Legal assistance was provided during her trial, it said. The department is withholding other details upon the request of the relatives of the deceased.

This week’s execution came months after an Indonesian maid was also sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for allegedly killing her employer after he tried to rape her. This triggered a protest from the Indonesian government, which said it wasn’t notified before the execution of its citizen.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andreo Calonzo in Manila at acalonzo1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Clarissa Batino at cbatino@bloomberg.net, Cecilia Yap

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