Saudi Arabia Urged to Spare Sri Lankan Man Sentenced to Death Over Facebook Post
A Sri Lankan migrant worker faces execution for blasphemy after an appellate court overturned a lesser sentence for a comment made on social media.
Sri Lanka is making diplomatic efforts to secure clemency for Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old migrant worker sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The sentence was issued by an appellate court after prosecutors appealed an earlier ruling that had sentenced Sivarasa to five years in prison and a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals (approximately $800,000 USD).
Sivarasa was arrested in July after making a derogatory comment on Facebook during an online religious dispute. The dispute began in late June following footage of a young Muslim man kicking a dog near Hindu pilgrims in Sri Lanka. Although Sivarasa deleted the comment and posted an apology video, it was screenshotted and brought to the attention of his employer and Saudi authorities.
His personal devices were seized, and his social media accounts were subsequently deleted by Saudi officials. His brother stated that individuals in Sri Lanka sent emails to Sivarasa's employer, leading to his arrest.
In September, Saudi prosecutors filed an appeal to try Sivarasa under Sharia law instead of the country's cybercrime legislation. The appellate court granted this request, leading to the death sentence on September 17.
The Sri Lankan government has confirmed it is taking all available steps to assist Sivarasa. The family met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on September 21, who assured them that the government would seek a general pardon and instructed diplomatic channels to engage Saudi authorities. Cross-religious leaders in Sri Lanka have also submitted a memorandum to the Presidential Secretariat calling for state intervention.
A four-member Sri Lankan legal delegation is traveling to Saudi Arabia this week to meet with Sivarasa's local defense lawyers to discuss the case and plan further actions.
The family has had no updates on Sivarasa's condition since September 28 and has been instructed by the Sri Lankan government to refrain from making further public statements while diplomatic efforts are underway. Communication with Sivarasa has ceased, and his family has contacted the embassy seeking information.
Saudi Arabia has a history of carrying out executions without prior warning to families or foreign embassies, often informing relatives only after the sentence has been carried out. Human rights organizations have expressed concern over severe sentences for online speech in Saudi Arabia. In July 2023, Mohammed Al Ghamdi, a retired Saudi teacher, received a death sentence for social media comments, though this was later overturned to a 30-year prison sentence. Rights groups highlight the particular vulnerabilities of low-wage migrant workers within the Saudi legal system due to language barriers and limited access to legal representation. Executions for blasphemy are reportedly less common than those for offenses such as murder or drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia.