Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Sri Lanka, faces a death sentence in Saudi Arabia after posting a comment on Facebook that authorities categorized as blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with the young man’s family on September 21, pledging that the government will make every effort to secure a full pardon.
From Social Media Outrage to a Capital Sentence
The sequence of events began in late June when an online video surfaced showing a young Muslim man in Sri Lanka kicking a dog that was following Hindu pilgrims. The footage sparked intense religious debates across social media networks. Amid the digital confrontation, an inflammatory post insulted Hindu deities, prompting Sivarasa to write a comment in Tamil that insulted the Prophet Muhammad.
Sivarasa quickly deleted the comment and posted an apology video. However, screenshots of that video eventually reached his employer and Saudi authorities. In July, security personnel arrested Sivarasa, seized his electronic devices, and deleted his social media accounts. The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court initially sentenced him to five years in prison alongside a three-million-riyal fine, equivalent to roughly 1億2600万円. When a defense representative appealed for a reduced sentence, the request was rejected, according to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.
The case shifted dramatically on September 17. Saudi prosecutors appealed to have Sivarasa tried under Sharia law rather than the cybercrime statutes. The appeals court accepted the motion, upgrading his sentence to death. Saudi authorities have not announced a formal execution schedule, keeping the timing entirely unknown. Foreign embassies and condemned prisoners’ families in the kingdom frequently receive no advance warning prior to an execution.
Diplomatic Appeals and Ongoing Uncertainty
The sentence has generated deep concern and widespread pleas for mercy throughout Sri Lankan society. Multiple political parties and government agencies have coordinated diplomatic efforts to secure clemency. Religious leaders representing both Buddhist and Hindu communities submitted a joint petition to the presidential secretariat requesting urgent state intervention.
Family members have had no direct contact with Sivarasa since September 28, operating under instructions from the Sri Lankan government to withhold further public statements while diplomatic negotiations continue. Sivarasa’s siblings noted that they had gone two days without speaking to him and immediately contacted the embassy to investigate his status.
Saudi prison regulations prohibit death-row inmates from possessing mobile phones, restricting official communication entirely through prison authorities.
| Timeline Event | Date / Period | Key Development |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Arrest | July | Sivarasa detained by Saudi authorities following the discovery of deleted Facebook comments. |
| Initial Sentencing | Not specified | Al-Ahsa Criminal Court imposes a 5-year prison term and a 3-million-riyal fine. |
| Presidential Meeting | September 21 | Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake meets Sivarasa’s family, promising full diplomatic backing. |
| Sentence Upgrade | September 17 | Appeals court grants prosecutor request to apply Sharia law, changing the sentence to death. |
| Loss of Contact | Late September | Family reports losing direct communication with Sivarasa since September 28. |
Broader Legal Precedents and Vulnerable Migrant Populations
International human rights organizations have repeatedly voiced alarm over the severe penalties Saudi Arabia imposes for online expression. The United Nations previously highlighted the case of Mohamed al-Ghamdi, a retired Saudi teacher sentenced to death in July 2023 over posts made across two anonymous Twitter accounts with a combined following of just ten people.
Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director, Philip Luther, condemned that verdict at the time as absurd, noting the defendant faced capital punishment for expressing opinions online. According to ALQST for Human Rights, an independent non-governmental organization monitoring conditions in the kingdom, al-Ghamdi’s death sentence was eventually overturned in favor of a 30-year prison term.
Saudi Arabia hosts over 10 million foreign workers, according to data from the International Organization for Migration. Human rights advocates emphasize that low-wage migrant workers remain particularly vulnerable within the Saudi legal framework, frequently constrained by language barriers and a lack of adequate legal representation. While Saudi Arabia executes individuals primarily for drug offenses and murder, capital punishment for blasphemy remains comparatively rare.
