Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned a death sentence handed down to a Sri Lankan migrant worker over a blasphemous Facebook post, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra has said.
Anojan Sivarasa, 27, received the death sentence in September after a Saudi appellate court convicted him of blasphemy against Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) over the comment.
The case prompted diplomatic efforts by Sri Lanka to seek clemency for Sivarasa. Hemachandra announced the latest development in a Facebook post on Wednesday, thanking the authorities and legal teams of both countries for their efforts.
The case began after footage circulated on social media in late June showing a young Muslim man kicking a dog following Hindu pilgrims. The video triggered a religious dispute online.
During the exchange, a user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity. Sivarasa responded in Tamil with an objectionable remark about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Sivarasa later deleted the comment and posted an apology video. However, a screenshot of the comment reached his employer and Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest in July.
It remains unclear whether Sivarasa will face further legal proceedings or whether he will remain in detention and for how long. The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court had initially sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals, equivalent to around $800,000.
Sri Lankan lawmaker Faizer Mustafa, who is involved in legal negotiations with Saudi Arabia over the case, also confirmed to an international media outlet that the death sentence had been overturned. He added that they were reviewing the Supreme Court’s latest ruling.
Sivarasa’s family had previously said that they had not been in direct contact with him since September 28.
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,” Human Rights Watch senior Saudi Arabia researcher Joey Shea said on Tuesday.
