Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra recently announced on X that the Saudi Supreme Court quashed the death sentence of Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Tamil migrant worker. Sivarasa, who was arrested in July 2026 over a blasphemous comment on Facebook, saw his initial sentence of five years and a fine increased to death by a Saudi appellate court last month. The Sri Lankan government intervened with a special legal delegation to support the appeal, covering the legal expenses incurred by his family.
Efforts to overturn the sentence included diplomatic engagement, with Sri Lankan officials closely monitoring the situation and maintaining contact with Sivarasa’s family. The Sri Lankan ambassador’s recent visit to Dammam Central Prison ensured Sivarasa was aware of the ongoing legal aid efforts and confirmed his well-being. More details on the case can be found here.
The case drew significant attention both domestically and internationally, highlighting concerns about the application of the death penalty under Saudi Arabia’s justice system. Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef, pointed out the alarming shift from a five-year sentence to a death penalty within a short span. Morayef emphasized that this violated international principles of freedom of expression and constitutes arbitrary deprivation of life, as articulated in the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the few countries that implements capital punishment by decapitation. Last year, 356 executions were recorded, with 188 involving foreign nationals. This has prompted scrutiny, especially given that Saudi Arabia is a signatory to the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which mandates the provision of consular assistance to detained foreign nationals.
The incident originated from a comment Sivarasa made amid a fervent religious debate online. His remarks about the Prophet Muhammad caught the attention of his employer and Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest. This highlights the complex interface between laws governing speech in Saudi Arabia and the rights of foreign workers—a dynamic that continues to challenge international diplomatic and human rights efforts.