The BBC World Service has reported on Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan national facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, and appeals calling for his sentence to be commuted.
According to the report, the migrant worker was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia after being convicted by an appeals court over allegations that he had insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad in a Facebook post.
The case has sparked widespread concern across Sri Lanka, with civil society organisations submitting petitions and expressing strong concern, the BBC reported. Several political parties and government institutions are also reportedly intervening at the diplomatic level to seek legal and humanitarian relief for Anojan.
The BBC further reported that Anojan’s family had received no information about his condition since September 28. As diplomatic efforts are underway, the Sri Lankan Government has reportedly advised his family to refrain from making further statements to the media regarding the case.
According to the report, Saudi authorities have not announced a specific date for carrying out the death sentence, and it remains unclear when the sentence will be implemented.
Initially, the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court sentenced Anojan to five years in prison and imposed a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals. Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath had stated that an appeal submitted on Anojan’s behalf seeking a reduction of his sentence had been rejected.
The BBC reported that prisoners sentenced to death in Saudi Arabian prisons are not permitted to use personal mobile phones. They are allowed to make telephone calls only under the strict supervision and facilities provided by prison authorities.
The report also noted that several human rights organisations have repeatedly expressed strong concern and opposition over such severe punishments imposed by Saudi Arabia in connection with statements made on social media.
According to the United Nations, in July 2023, a retired Saudi teacher named Mohammed al-Ghamdi was also sentenced to death over posts he had published on several social media platforms, the BBC World Service further reported.
