Death sentence overturned for Sri Lankan man who insulted the Prophet in Saudi Arabia

The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has overturned the death sentence handed down to Anojan Sivarasa, a 27-year-old Sri Lankan national, for a comment he posted on Facebook. The BBC reported this, citing Sri Lankan officials.

Arun Hemachandra, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that the court overturned the verdict on October 14. This outcome followed negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and diplomats and Saudi Arabian authorities. There is no information yet regarding when he might be released.

In late June, a video circulated on social media showing a man kicking a dog that was following a group of Hindu pilgrims. The video sparked a religious-themed controversy. During this discourse, Sivarasa posted a comment in the Tamil language that insulted the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He soon deleted the comment and posted a video apologizing; however, a screenshot of the original comment had already spread. Consequently, he was arrested in July.
Initially, the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court sentenced him to five years in prison and a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals. Later, an appellate court changed his sentence to the death penalty. Although the Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence, there is currently no clear information regarding Sivarasan’s release or any further legal proceedings in the case. His family has stated that they have been unable to contact him directly since September 28.
International human rights organizations have also urged Saudi Arabia to spare Sivarasan’s life.