COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Saudi Arabia has overturned the death sentence of a Sri Lankan migrant worker convicted of blasphemy over a Facebook comment about the Prophet Muhammad.
Anojan Sivarasa had been sentenced to death after a Saudi appeals court increased an earlier five-year prison term.
Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra confirmed that the Supreme Court set aside the sentence on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, following diplomatic and legal intervention by Colombo.
However, authorities have not clarified whether Sivarasa will be released, remain imprisoned, or face further proceedings.
Facebook Dispute Led to Death Sentence
Sivarasa, a Tamil construction worker from eastern Sri Lanka, was arrested on July 1 following an online argument involving religious communities.
The dispute began after a video circulated showing a Muslim man kicking a dog accompanying Hindu pilgrims.
During the ensuing exchanges, Sivarasa posted a comment about the Prophet Muhammad that some readers considered blasphemous.
He subsequently deleted the comment and issued a video apology, but screenshots had already circulated.
According to Human Rights Watch, the screenshots were brought to the attention of his employer and Saudi authorities.
Prosecutors charged him under Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Cybercrime Law.
On July 27, a criminal court in Al-Ahsa sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals, approximately $800,000.
Prosecutors appealed, and on September 17, an appellate court in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region increased his punishment to death for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
Sivarasa had told the trial court that he made the comment in anger and regretted his actions.
Sri Lanka Secures Reversal After Diplomatic Intervention
The death sentence prompted appeals from Sivarasa’s family, Sri Lankan authorities, and international human rights organisations.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met the worker’s family and pledged government assistance.
Colombo subsequently dispatched a legal delegation to Saudi Arabia to challenge the ruling.
“This follows sustained diplomatic and legal efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka,” Hemachandra said.
The delegation included lawmaker and senior lawyer Mohamed Faiszer Musthapha and Additional Solicitor General Hafeez Azard Navavi.
Musthapha confirmed the reversal to BBC Sinhala but said lawyers were still examining the judgment.
Amnesty International had criticised the prosecution, saying Sivarasa was denied access to a lawyer before his initial sentencing.
The organisation called for his unconditional release, arguing that nobody should face imprisonment or execution for expressing religious views, even when considered offensive.
According to Amnesty, Saudi Arabia had executed at least 175 people in 2026 as of October 5, including 94 foreign nationals.
Sivarasa’s family previously told the BBC that they had not been in direct contact with him since September 28.
The Sri Lankan government has welcomed the ruling but has not confirmed whether his conviction, earlier prison sentence, or financial penalty will remain in force.
Officials said diplomatic and legal efforts to secure a favourable conclusion would continue.
