Anjan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old migrant worker, faces the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. The court of appeal in the kingdom has found him guilty of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad following a comment he posted on Facebook.
His mother, Rasmanickam Yogalakshmi, has publicly pleaded for his life. The family has had no news of his condition since 28 September, while Sri Lankan authorities have advised the family to refrain from making further statements in light of ongoing diplomatic efforts. Saudi authorities have not provided a timeline for the execution, and the country has a history of carrying out executions without warning the families or foreign embassies.
Anjan was prosecuted following a dispute on social media that arose after an incident during a pilgrimage in Sri Lanka. In late June, a video of a young man kicking a dog after a Hindu pilgrimage went viral on social media. During the ensuing debate, a user posted derogatory comments about a Hindu deity. Anjan posted a response in the Tamil language, insulting the Prophet Muhammad, but later deleted the comment and posted a video of apology. Nevertheless, the comment was captured via screen recording and forwarded to his employer and Saudi authorities.
Anjan was arrested in July, and his personal devices were confiscated, while his social media accounts were deleted by Saudi officials. His brother, Hamsan Sivarasa, told BBC Sinhala that individuals in Sri Lanka had sent emails to the company where Anjan worked. The company that employs him informed Saudi authorities, who then initiated legal proceedings against him.
Anjan was initially sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals (approximately $0.8 million, £0.6 million) by the Al-Ahsha Criminal Court. An appeal filed on his behalf to reduce the sentence was rejected, according to Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath. The case took a dramatic turn on 17 September when Saudi prosecutors appealed, arguing that Anjan should be tried under Sharia law rather than cybercrime legislation. The appellate court accepted the prosecution's request and increased the sentence to death.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is taking all available steps to assist Anjan. His family met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on 23 September, where the President assured them that the government would do everything possible to secure a pardon for him. Senior Buddhist leaders, the Mahanayakes of the Ramanna and Amarapura Nikayas, along with Hindu religious leaders, submitted a memorandum to the Presidential Secretariat, calling for urgent state intervention.
A four-member Sri Lankan legal delegation is travelling to Saudi Arabia this week to meet with Anjan's local defence lawyers. Upal Kumarapperuma, a presidential advisor, told BBC Sinhala that two law firms in Saudi Arabia are handling Anjan's case. Communication with Anjan has completely ceased, and his brother Hamsan stated on 28 September that his brother had not called for two days. In Saudi prisons, inmates on death row are typically denied access to personal mobile devices.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly expressed concern over the strict penalties for online speech in Saudi Arabia. In July 2023, Mohammed Al Ghamdi, a retired Saudi teacher, was sentenced to death for comments made on social media, according to the United Nations. Philip Luther, the head of research and advocacy at Amnesty International, described the sentence against Al Ghamdi as absurd. Al Ghamdi's sentence was later overturned, and he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to ALQST.
There are over 10 million foreign workers in Saudi Arabia, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Rights groups highlight that migrant workers in low-paid jobs are exposed to specific vulnerabilities within the Saudi legal system, due to language barriers and a lack of adequate legal representation. Death sentences for blasphemy are relatively rare compared to those for drug offences or murder in Saudi Arabia.
