In a development that has drawn international attention, Saudi Arabia’s highest judicial body has vacated the death penalty imposed on a 27-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker convicted of blasphemy over a social media post, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra has confirmed.
The case, which sparked widespread outrage and diplomatic mobilization across South Asia, traces back to an online exchange in late June. When footage of a young Muslim man kicking a dog near a gathering of Hindu pilgrims went viral on social media, a heated religious debate erupted. During the argument, a separate user posted insulting comments about a Hindu deity, prompting Anojan Sivarasa to respond with remarks insulting the Prophet Muhammad in the Tamil language.
Even though Sivarasa quickly deleted his comment and shared a public video apologizing for the outburst, a captured screenshot of the post was shared with his employer and Saudi law enforcement officials, leading to his arrest in July. The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court initially handed down a combined sentence of five years imprisonment and a 3 million Saudi riyal ($800,000) fine. Last September, a Saudi appellate court upgraded the penalty to death for the blasphemy conviction.
The announcement of the death sentence sent immediate shockwaves through Sri Lanka, prompting urgent high-level diplomatic efforts from Colombo to secure clemency for the migrant worker. International human rights organizations also added their voices to the calls for Saudi authorities to reverse the ruling, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities facing foreign laborers in the kingdom.
Joey Shea, senior Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, issued a statement ahead of the Supreme Court ruling calling for an end to the harsh application of blasphemy laws against speech offenses, particularly for marginalized migrant workers. “Saudi authorities should end their use of abusive laws to hand out extraordinary sentences for speech-related offenses, especially against migrant workers who are already in a vulnerable position with limited protections,” Shea said Tuesday.
Hemachandra announced the Supreme Court’s decision to set aside the death sentence in a Wednesday post on Facebook, where he extended gratitude to government and legal teams from both nations for their collaborative work on the case. Sri Lankan lawmaker Faizer Mustafa, who has led direct legal negotiations with Saudi officials on the case, later confirmed the ruling to BBC Sinhala, noting that Sri Lankan authorities are still reviewing the full text of the Supreme Court’s decision to clarify next steps.
As of Thursday, key details remain unresolved: it is still unclear whether Saudi authorities will pursue new legal proceedings against Sivarasa, how long he will remain in detention, or whether the original lower court’s prison sentence and fine will remain in effect. Sivarasa’s family has also reported that they have not had any direct contact with the migrant worker since September 28, adding to the uncertainty surrounding his current situation.