Shanakiyan urges urgent action over reported death sentence for Lankan in Saudi Arabia

Batticaloa District ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has called on the Government to urgently intervene to save the life of Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan national who has reportedly been given a death sentence in Saudi Arabia. Rasamanickam, in a statement on ‘X’, announced he would raise the matter in Parliament the following week.

He questioned the Foreign Ministry's handling of the case and the transparency of the appeal process. According to Rasamanickam, Anojan, who was initially sentenced to five years in prison and fined SAR 3 million, received a death sentence after an appeal. The family pursued this appeal on advice from Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, despite the Embassy's legal advice that the chances of success were "extremely low".

The family reportedly spent Rs. 1,890,766 in legal fees, paid to an account linked to the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, Rasamanickam noted discrepancies in the Ministry's handling of the case. The appeal was filed on August 24, 2026, but the Ministry's letter forwarding the appeal to the family was issued on September 16, despite requests for earlier access.

The appeal document identifies Attorney Adlan Abdullah Al-Subaie as the lawyer, but Rasamanickam claimed a different lawyer appeared in court and the family was not informed of his identity or contact details. These discrepancies have raised serious questions about the consular and diplomatic handling of the case. Rasamanickam pledged to continue pursuing the matter in Parliament and urged the Government to take immediate action by securing independent legal representation, exploring all legal remedies, and making diplomatic representations at the highest level in Saudi Arabia.