October 6, 2026 Austine Agbo Emmanuel World Stage 0
A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker, Sivarasa Anojan, is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia after a Facebook comment deemed insulting to Islam and Prophet Muhammad resulted in a criminal case that escalated from a five-year prison sentence to capital punishment.
Anojan, from Natpiddimunai in Sri Lanka’s eastern town of Kalmunai, travelled to Saudi Arabia for employment in September 2025. He was arrested in July 2026 following a social media dispute in Sri Lanka, with his case subsequently brought before the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court in Saudi Arabia. Blueprint reports
The case has since triggered diplomatic and legal efforts by the Sri Lankan government, while Anojan’s family and religious leaders have appealed for clemency.
Reports indicate that the case originated from a heated online religious argument in Sri Lanka.
Anojan reportedly posted a comment in Tamil during the dispute that Saudi authorities considered insulting to Prophet Muhammad.
He subsequently deleted the comment and apologised, according to reports, but screenshots of the exchange were circulated and eventually brought to the attention of his employer and Saudi authorities.
Sri Lankan media reports have linked the online dispute to an earlier incident involving a dog during a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka, which triggered an exchange of religiously provocative comments on social media. The precise circumstances surrounding the original online exchange have been reported differently by various outlets.
The matter initially resulted in a much lighter punishment.
The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court sentenced Anojan to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals, equivalent to roughly $800,000.
The court also ordered the confiscation of the electronic device used in the alleged offence and the closure of the relevant social media account.
According to documents reviewed by Jaffna Monitor, the trial involved two separate allegations: publishing material through an information network considered harmful to religious values and public morals, and insulting Prophet Muhammad, with the latter treated as an offence under Sharia.
The five-year sentence was therefore imposed before the case took a dramatic turn at the appeal stage.
Anojan’s side appealed the original punishment, reportedly seeking a reduction in the sentence.
Instead, the case moved in the opposite direction.
Saudi prosecutors also challenged the original ruling and sought a more severe punishment, arguing that the allegation involving the Prophet should be dealt with under Sharia rather than solely under the country’s cybercrime legislation.
On September 17, an appellate court imposed the death penalty, according to reports from Sri Lankan authorities and media outlets following the case.
The development transformed the case from a prison sentence into a matter involving the possibility of execution.
Sri Lankan officials have since been examining the judgment and exploring available legal avenues within the Saudi judicial system.
The Sri Lankan government has moved to secure relief for Anojan.
Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its embassy in Riyadh was monitoring the case and engaging Saudi authorities through diplomatic channels.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has also met members of Anojan’s family, while the government has indicated that it is pursuing legal, diplomatic, consular and humanitarian avenues to seek relief.
The Sri Lankan authorities have also urged those involved in the case to exercise caution in their public statements so that ongoing diplomatic efforts are not undermined.
A four-member Sri Lankan delegation, including President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma and Faiszer Musthapha, is travelling to Saudi Arabia to explore options for having the sentence commuted.
The delegation is expected to engage with Saudi lawyers and representatives of local bar associations, while an appeal seeking commutation is expected to be pursued through the appropriate Saudi legal channels.
The Sri Lankan government has also said the country’s embassy in Riyadh remains in contact with Saudi authorities over the matter.
Religious leaders in Sri Lanka have separately appealed for government intervention.
The Chief Prelates of the Ramanya Maha Nikaya and Amarapura Maha Nikaya have submitted a memorandum to President Dissanayake seeking state action to secure Anojan’s release.
The case has also caused growing anxiety among Anojan’s relatives.
Reports indicate that his family last had contact with him on September 28, although the Sri Lankan government has said its diplomatic representatives are continuing to monitor his situation.
His mother and other relatives have appealed for intervention as efforts continue to secure either a legal reduction of the sentence or clemency.
The uncertainty has been compounded by the absence of any publicly announced execution date.
Saudi authorities have not announced when the sentence would be carried out, and Sri Lankan officials are continuing to pursue available legal and diplomatic options.
The case has attracted attention in Sri Lanka because of the extraordinary escalation in punishment.
Anojan went from facing five years in prison and a substantial fine to confronting the death penalty after the prosecution challenged the original ruling.
The case also highlights the serious legal consequences foreign workers can face in Saudi Arabia over conduct that authorities consider to constitute religious offences.
For Anojan’s family, however, the immediate priority is securing his release or preventing the death sentence from being carried out.
Sri Lankan officials and lawyers are therefore working to establish the remaining legal options, while diplomatic efforts continue with Saudi authorities.
Despite the death sentence, there is currently no publicly announced execution date for Anojan.
Sri Lankan authorities are seeking to use the available judicial and diplomatic channels to challenge or commute the punishment.
The legal delegation’s intervention, combined with the government’s diplomatic engagement and calls for clemency from religious leaders, represents the latest effort to prevent the sentence from being carried out.
For now, Anojan remains in Saudi custody as the legal and diplomatic efforts continue, with his family awaiting the outcome of attempts to secure a reduction of the sentence or a pardon.
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