Saudi Arabia Overturns Death Sentence for Sri Lankan Man Over Facebook Comment
Supreme Court ruling follows diplomatic efforts and international calls for clemency.
Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of a Sri Lankan migrant worker who faced execution over a comment made on Facebook, Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra announced.
Anojan Sivarasa, 27, was initially sentenced to death in September after an appellate court convicted him of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The case had prompted significant diplomatic engagement from Sri Lanka seeking clemency for its national.
The Supreme Court's decision to set aside the sentence was made on Wednesday, according to Hemachandra's statement on Facebook, where he expressed gratitude to the authorities and legal teams of both countries for their involvement.
The case originated in late June following the circulation of a video showing a Muslim man kicking a dog near Hindu pilgrims, which ignited online religious discussions. During this exchange, Sivarasa posted a comment in Tamil that insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Although Sivarasa promptly removed the comment and issued an apology video, a screenshot of his remark was brought to the attention of his employer and Saudi officials, leading to his arrest in July.
Initially, the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court had sentenced Sivarasa to five years in prison and a fine of three million Saudi riyals (approximately $800,000 USD or £600,000 GBP). It remains unclear whether Sivarasa will face further legal proceedings or how long he will be detained.
Faizer Mustafa, a Sri Lankan lawmaker involved in negotiations with Saudi Arabia concerning Sivarasa's case, confirmed the overturning of the death sentence and stated that the Supreme Court's ruling is currently under review. Sivarasa's family had reported having no direct contact with him since late September.
International human rights organizations had also appealed to Saudi authorities to spare Sivarasa's life. Joey Shea, a senior Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, had previously urged Saudi authorities to cease using "abusive laws to hand out extraordinary sentences for speech-related offenses, especially against migrant workers who are already in a vulnerable position with limited protections."