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.
The case originated from a heated online religious argument in Sri Lanka, where Anojan reportedly posted a comment in Tamil that Saudi authorities considered insulting to Prophet Muhammad. He subsequently deleted the comment and apologised, 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.
The matter initially resulted in a much lighter punishment, with the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court sentencing Anojan to five years in prison and imposing 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. The trial involved two separate allegations: publishing material through an information network considered harmful to religious values and public morals, and insulting Prophet Muhammad.
Anojan’s side appealed the original punishment, reportedly seeking a reduction in the sentence. Instead, the case moved in the opposite direction, with Saudi prosecutors challenging the original ruling and seeking a more severe punishment. On September 17, an appellate court imposed the death penalty, transforming the case from a prison sentence into a matter involving the possibility of execution.
The Sri Lankan government has moved to secure relief for Anojan, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying 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.
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 case has attracted attention in Sri Lanka due to the extraordinary escalation in punishment, and Anojan’s family last had contact with him on September 28. Despite the death sentence, there is currently no publicly announced execution date for Anojan, and Sri Lankan authorities are seeking to use the available judicial and diplomatic channels to challenge or commute the punishment.
Key points
- A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker faces the death penalty in Saudi Arabia for a Facebook comment deemed insulting to Islam and Prophet Muhammad.
- The case escalated from a five-year prison sentence to capital punishment after Saudi prosecutors challenged the original ruling.
- The Sri Lankan government is pursuing diplomatic and legal efforts to secure relief for Anojan.
