A Sri Lankan worker who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over a Facebook comment has had the sentence overturned by the kingdom's highest court, bringing a major reprieve in a case that drew international concern and weeks of diplomatic effort.
Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court had set aside the death penalty imposed on 27-year-old Anojan Sivarasa, crediting sustained diplomatic and legal work by the Sri Lankan government and thanking Saudi authorities for their cooperation.
From jail term to death row
Sivarasa's ordeal began late in June, when footage circulated online of a young Muslim man kicking a dog near Hindu pilgrims in Sri Lanka. The video set off heated religious exchanges on social media. During one exchange, a user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity, and Sivarasa responded in Tamil with a comment deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. He later deleted the comment and posted a video apologising for it, but a screenshot was passed to his employer and to Saudi officials. He was arrested in July.
The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court first sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals, roughly $800,000. He appealed the jail term, but the appellate court went much further in September, convicting him of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad and imposing the death sentence.
What happens next
It remains unclear whether Sivarasa will face further legal proceedings or remain in detention, and how long any further custody might last. A Sri Lankan lawmaker involved in the legal negotiations confirmed to the BBC that the sentence had been overturned and said the Supreme Court's latest ruling was being studied to determine the next steps. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake welcomed the decision, describing the outcome as humane and just, while Human Rights Watch had earlier called for the worker's release, arguing no one should face execution over a comment on religion.
The case had alarmed migrant-rights advocates and prompted Colombo to pursue clemency through diplomatic channels for one of its nationals working abroad.
Sources: Times of India: Saudi Supreme Court sets aside death sentence of Sri Lankan man over Facebook comment | Scroll: Saudi Arabia overturns death sentence of Sri Lankan worker over alleged blasphemous comment | Hindustan Times: Saudi top court overturns Sri Lankan man's death sentence over Facebook post
Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court had set aside the death penalty imposed on 27-year-old Anojan Sivarasa, crediting sustained diplomatic and legal work by the Sri Lankan government and thanking Saudi authorities for their cooperation.
From jail term to death row
Sivarasa's ordeal began late in June, when footage circulated online of a young Muslim man kicking a dog near Hindu pilgrims in Sri Lanka. The video set off heated religious exchanges on social media. During one exchange, a user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity, and Sivarasa responded in Tamil with a comment deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. He later deleted the comment and posted a video apologising for it, but a screenshot was passed to his employer and to Saudi officials. He was arrested in July.
The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court first sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals, roughly $800,000. He appealed the jail term, but the appellate court went much further in September, convicting him of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad and imposing the death sentence.
What happens next
It remains unclear whether Sivarasa will face further legal proceedings or remain in detention, and how long any further custody might last. A Sri Lankan lawmaker involved in the legal negotiations confirmed to the BBC that the sentence had been overturned and said the Supreme Court's latest ruling was being studied to determine the next steps. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake welcomed the decision, describing the outcome as humane and just, while Human Rights Watch had earlier called for the worker's release, arguing no one should face execution over a comment on religion.
The case had alarmed migrant-rights advocates and prompted Colombo to pursue clemency through diplomatic channels for one of its nationals working abroad.
Sources: Times of India: Saudi Supreme Court sets aside death sentence of Sri Lankan man over Facebook comment | Scroll: Saudi Arabia overturns death sentence of Sri Lankan worker over alleged blasphemous comment | Hindustan Times: Saudi top court overturns Sri Lankan man's death sentence over Facebook post
