Saudi Arabia Overturns Sri Lankan Worker's Death Sentence Over Alleged Blasphemous Facebook Comment
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of a Sri Lankan migrant worker convicted of blasphemy over a Facebook comment, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra confirmed on Wednesday. Anojan Sivarasa, 27, was sentenced to death in September after being convicted of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad over a comment he posted on Facebook. In a…
Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan migrant worker convicted of blasphemy over a Facebook comment, according to Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra. Sivarasa, 27, was initially sentenced to death in September for a comment he made on Facebook during an argument, which was later brought to the attention of his employer and Saudi authorities.
The Saudi Supreme Court set aside the death sentence on Tuesday, leading to a statement of relief from Hemachandra. He credited the diplomatic and legal efforts of Sri Lanka's government, including the Sri Lankan ambassador, Foreign Ministry officials, the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, and legal teams from both countries.
However, it remains unclear whether Sivarasa will remain in detention or face further legal proceedings.
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