Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence imposed on a Sri Lankan migrant worker over a comment he made on Facebook, Colombo’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Arun Hemachandra, has said. BBC reported that Anojan Sivarasa, 27, was sentenced to death in September after a Saudi appellate court convicted him…...
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence imposed on a Sri Lankan migrant worker over a comment he made on Facebook, Colombo’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Arun Hemachandra, has said.
BBC reported that Anojan Sivarasa, 27, was sentenced to death in September after a Saudi appellate court convicted him of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad over the comment.
The case sparked widespread concern in Sri Lanka and prompted diplomatic efforts to secure clemency for the migrant worker.
Hemachandra announced the development in a Facebook post on Wednesday, thanking the authorities and legal teams of both countries for their efforts in the case.
The controversy began in late June when footage of a young Muslim man kicking a dog following Hindu pilgrims circulated widely on social media, triggering religious arguments online.
During the exchange, a user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity, prompting Sivarasa to respond in Tamil with an insult directed at the Prophet Muhammad.
Although Sivarasa promptly deleted the comment and published an apology video, a screenshot of the post was reportedly brought to the attention of his employer and Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest in July.
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It remains unclear whether further legal proceedings will follow or whether Sivarasa will continue to be detained and, if so, for how long.
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He was initially sentenced to five years in prison and fined three million Saudi riyals ($0.8m; £0.6m) by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court.
Faizer Mustafa, a Sri Lankan lawmaker involved in legal negotiations with Saudi Arabia over the case, also confirmed to BBC Sinhala that the death sentence had been overturned. He added that they were reviewing the Supreme Court’s latest ruling.
Sivarasa’s family had earlier said they had not had direct contact with him since 28 September.
International human rights organisations had also called on Saudi Arabia to spare his life.
“Saudi authorities should end their use of 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,” Joey Shea, senior Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said on Tuesday.