Colombo, Oct. 14 (Daily Mirror) - Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra has expressed gratitude to the Government of Saudi Arabia for its support in addressing the case of Sri Lankan national Anojan Shivarasah and conveyed Sri Lanka’s respect for the Saudi judicial system.
In a statement, Hemachandra said the Saudi Supreme Court decided on October 13, 2026, to review the death penalty verdict imposed on Shivarasah by the Court of Appeal. Following the decision, the death penalty imposed under the earlier ruling was removed.
Shivarasah was initially sentenced to five years in prison in connection with a social media publication before the Court of Appeal subsequently imposed the death penalty.
Hemachandra said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath provided guidance to efforts to resolve the matter through diplomatic, consular and legal channels.
As part of these efforts, Shivarasah’s family members, along with the President and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held discussions with Saudi authorities. A special Sri Lankan legal team also worked with Saudi legal experts to pursue available legal avenues.
The government decided to cover the legal expenses related to the case and provide full reimbursement for legal costs previously incurred by the family, the Deputy Minister said.
Hemachandra also expressed his appreciation to Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and officials of the embassy, the Secretary and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment and the Ministry of Justice for their contributions to the efforts to resolve the case.