A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker, Anojan Sivarasa, is facing execution in Saudi Arabia after an appellate court sentenced him to death over a Facebook comment deemed blasphemous. Sivarasa was initially sentenced to five years in prison and fined three million Saudi riyals under Saudi Arabia’s cybercrime law. However, his case took a drastic turn on September 17 after prosecutors appealed for him to be tried under Sharia law.
The appellate court subsequently increased his sentence to death. Sivarasa was convicted after posting an insulting comment about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad during an online religious argument. He had reportedly become involved in a religious argument on social media after another user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity. Sivarasa responded with a comment insulting the Prophet Muhammad but deleted it within minutes and later apologised in a video.
The comment was nevertheless screenshotted and reportedly sent to his employer and Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest in July. His family has not heard from him since September 28, while Saudi authorities have not announced an execution date. Humanists UK has called on the British Government to urgently intervene in the case. The organisation launched a petition on Wednesday seeking government action to help save the life of Anojan Sivarasa.
Humanists UK Chief Executive, Andrew Copson, said the British Foreign Secretary should raise the case with Saudi authorities “at the highest level”. Copson added that everyone has the right to speak freely about religion, and no one should ever face punishment for doing so, much less be put to death. He also urged the UK Government to use its influence to push for the repeal of blasphemy laws in countries where they remain in force.
The Sri Lankan government has been seeking a pardon for Sivarasa. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met his family in September and assured them that his government would make every effort to secure his release. The government has also sent a four-member legal delegation to Saudi Arabia to meet the lawyers handling his case. Religious leaders and civil society groups in Sri Lanka have equally called for government intervention.
Buddhist and Hindu leaders submitted a memorandum to the presidential secretariat, calling for action to be taken. Sivarasa’s brother, Hamsidan, previously told the BBC that the family had contacted the Sri Lankan embassy after communication with Anojan stopped. Hamsidan also revealed that individuals in Sri Lanka had sent emails to the company where his brother worked, which contributed to his arrest.
Saudi Arabia has previously faced criticism from human rights organisations over severe sentences imposed for online speech, although executions for blasphemy are considered relatively rare compared with those for offences such as drug crimes and murder. The case has prompted fresh calls for intervention, with Humanists UK launching a petition urging the British Government to press Saudi Arabia to overturn the sentence.
Key points
- The British Government is urged to intervene in the case of Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker facing execution in Saudi Arabia for a Facebook comment deemed blasphemous.
- The Sri Lankan government is seeking a pardon for Sivarasa and has sent a legal delegation to Saudi Arabia to meet his lawyers.
- Human rights organisations have criticised Saudi Arabia for imposing severe sentences for online speech, including the death penalty for blasphemy.
