Sri Lankan migrant faces death penalty in Saudi Arabia over Facebook comment

A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia after an appellate court convicted him of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad over a comment he posted on Facebook.

Anojan Sivarasa’s mother, Rasamanickam Yogalakshmi, has appealed for mercy for her son, who was arrested in Saudi Arabia after his social media comment was reported to authorities.

Speaking through tears, Yogalakshmi said: “I plead for mercy for the wrongs committed by my son. Please forgive him and send him back to us.”

The case has triggered widespread concern in Sri Lanka, with civil society groups filing petitions and political parties and government agencies mounting diplomatic efforts to seek clemency for the young migrant worker.

However, Anojan’s family has reportedly received no updates on his condition since 28 September. The Sri Lankan government has also instructed the family to refrain from making further public statements while diplomatic efforts continue.

Saudi authorities have not announced a date for the execution, and it remains unclear when, or whether, the sentence will be carried out.

According to reports, Anojan’s case began following a dispute on social media after an incident during a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka.

In late June, footage showing a Muslim man kicking a dog following Hindu pilgrims circulated widely online, prompting heated religious exchanges on social media.

During the argument, another user reportedly posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity. Anojan responded in Tamil with an insulting comment about the Prophet Muhammad.

Although he subsequently deleted the comment and posted an apology video, the post had reportedly been captured and sent to his employer and Saudi officials.

Anojan was arrested in July, while his personal devices were seized and his social media accounts were deleted, according to his family.

His brother, Hamsidan Sivarasa, told BBC Sinhala that the incident was brought to the attention of Anojan’s employer by people in Sri Lanka.

“People in Saudi Arabia knew nothing about this matter. It was individuals in Sri Lanka who sent emails to the company where my brother worked. I do not even wish to mention who those people are,” he said.

According to Hamsidan, Anojan’s employer subsequently notified Saudi authorities, who opened a case against him.

Anojаn was initially sentenced by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court to five years in prison and fined three million Saudi riyals, equivalent to about $800,000 (£600,000).

An appeal filed on his behalf seeking a reduction of the sentence was rejected, according to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.

The case took a dramatic turn on 17 September when Saudi prosecutors appealed for Anojan to be prosecuted under Sharia law rather than the country’s cybercrime legislation.

The appellate court granted the prosecution’s request and increased his sentence to death.

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it is taking all available steps to assist Anojan.

His family met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on 21 September. The president reportedly assured them that his government would make every effort to secure a pardon and instructed diplomatic officials to engage with Saudi authorities.

The case has also attracted support from religious leaders across Sri Lanka.

Senior Buddhist leaders, including the Mahanayake Theros of the Ramanna Nikaya and the Amarapura Maha Nikaya, joined Hindu religious leaders in submitting a memorandum to the Presidential Secretariat calling for urgent government intervention.

A four-member Sri Lankan legal delegation is also travelling to Saudi Arabia to meet Anojan’s local defence lawyers.

“There are two law firms in Saudi Arabia handling Anojan’s case. We are going there to meet the lawyers from these two firms, discuss the case and plan what can be done next,” Upul Kumarapperuma, President’s Counsel and a member of the delegation, told BBC Sinhala.

Meanwhile, communication between Anojan and his family has reportedly stopped.

“My brother hasn’t called for two days.” Hamsidan said on 28 September. “We informed the embassy and asked officials to look into the matter and update us. They said they would check. We are still waiting, as we have not yet received a response.”

In Saudi prisons, prisoners facing execution generally lose access to personal mobile phones, with calls facilitated through prison authorities.

The case has renewed concerns among human rights organisations about severe punishments for online speech in Saudi Arabia.