Saudi Arabia overturns death sentence for Sri Lankan worker Anojan Sivarasa
Diplomatic appeals from Colombo prompt Riyadh’s top court to scrap capital punishment for a social media comment and order a fresh hearing.
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has set aside the death sentence handed to Sri Lankan migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa over an online blasphemy allegation, following sustained diplomatic intervention by Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra announced the decision, confirming that the kingdom’s highest court quashed the capital penalty on 13 October. The case has been remitted to the lower court that initially handled the proceedings, where a fresh hearing is expected within a fortnight.
Sivarasa, an engineer from Sri Lanka’s eastern district of Ampara — reported to be 24 by Sri Lankan officials and 27 by international agencies — was arrested in July after a dispute flared on social media. The row began in late June over widely shared video footage showing a young man kicking a dog that was following Hindu pilgrims heading toward the Kataragama temple in southern Sri Lanka.
During a heated online exchange that followed, another user posted disparaging remarks about a Hindu deity. Sivarasa responded in Tamil with a comment referring to the Prophet Muhammad that was subsequently deemed blasphemous under Saudi law. Although he deleted the post and recorded an apology video, screenshots circulated online and were sent to his employer in Saudi Arabia, prompting his arrest.
His sentence escalated sharply as the case moved through the Saudi judicial system.
| Legal stage | Judicial body | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Initial trial | Al-Ahsa Criminal Court | 5 years in prison, 3 million riyal fine |
| First appeal | Court of Appeal, Eastern Region | Death penalty imposed |
| Final appeal | Saudi Supreme Court | Death sentence quashed, remitted to lower court |
The imposition of capital punishment on 17 September triggered an immediate diplomatic mobilisation across Sri Lanka’s political divide. Six Tamil and Muslim members of parliament wrote directly to the Saudi foreign ministry appealing for clemency, while Buddhist and Hindu religious leaders submitted formal petitions urging state intervention.
Colombo dispatched a specialist legal delegation to Riyadh, including President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma and lawmaker Faizer Mustafa, while Sri Lankan Ambassador Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad visited Sivarasa at Dammam Central Prison to assess his condition following reports of an assault in custody.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake praised the outcome as proof of "patient diplomacy" and adherence to legal avenues, stating that no citizen working abroad should feel abandoned by the state.
While the Supreme Court ruling eliminates the immediate threat of execution, it is not yet clear whether Sivarasa will face a revised prison term or whether earlier custodial penalties, including the three-million-riyal fine, will remain in effect once the lower court concludes its review.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Original prison term | 5 years | Al-Ahsa Criminal Court ruling |
| Original fine | 3 million Saudi riyals ($800,000) | Al-Ahsa Criminal Court ruling |
| Date death sentence was quashed | 13 October 2026 | Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia | Apex judicial body that quashed the capital sentence |
| Sri Lanka | Home country of the worker which engaged diplomatically |
| Saudi Arabia | Country where the trials and rulings took place |
| Anojan Sivarasa | Sri Lankan migrant worker whose death penalty was overturned |
