Oct. 14 (Daily Mirror) - The Saudi Supreme Court has reportedly overturned the death sentence imposed on Sri Lankan migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa.
Sivarasa was sentenced to death by a Court of Appeal in Saudi Arabia. Following a lengthy process, he filed an appeal to the Saudi Supreme Court on 11 October 2026. Following the filing of the appeal, the Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal’s verdict.
The effort to secure Sivarasa’s release was led by the Government of Sri Lanka, which sent a specialised legal delegation to Saudi Arabia to pursue the appeal. The Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Minister also confirmed in a Facebook post that the verdict had been overturned.
"My sincere appreciation to the Government of Saudi Arabia for its cooperation, and to our Ambassador, the Secretary and officials of the Foreign Ministry, Chairman and Members of Srilanka Foreign Employment Bureau and the Sri Lankan and Saudi legal teams for their dedicated efforts," Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra said.
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Amir Ajwad, was also instrumental in spearheading diplomatic efforts to secure Sivarasa’s release, sources said.
The decision has brought a sigh of relief to Sri Lankans. Previously, Sri Lankan migrant worker Rizana Nafeek, who was sentenced to death, was executed despite efforts to secure clemency.
The legal team that travelled to Saudi Arabia comprised President’s Counsel Azad Navavi, President’s Counsel Faiszer Musthapha, Upul Kumarapperuma, and Attorney-at-Law Hafeel Farisz.