Saudi court sentences migrant worker to death over Facebook comment

A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker is facing execution in Saudi Arabia after an appellate court sentenced him to death over a Facebook comment deemed blasphemous.

Anoj­an Sivarasa was initially sentenced to five years in prison and fined three million Saudi riyals under the country’s cybercrime law. However, his case took a dramatic turn on September 17 when prosecutors appealed and sought to have him tried under Sharia law.

The appellate court subsequently replaced his prison sentence with the death penalty.

Sivarasa was convicted after posting an insulting comment about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad during a religious argument on social media. He reportedly deleted the comment within minutes and later apologised in a video.

According to reports, the dispute began after another social media user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity. Sivarasa responded with the comment about the Prophet Muhammad, which was reportedly screenshotted and sent to his employer and Saudi authorities.

He was arrested in July.

His family has reportedly not heard from him since September 28, while Saudi authorities have not announced a date for his execution.

The case has sparked calls for urgent diplomatic intervention, with Humanists UK launching a petition urging the British Government to press Saudi authorities to overturn the sentence.

Humanists UK Chief Executive, Andrew Copson, called on the British Foreign Secretary to raise Sivarasa’s case with Saudi authorities at the highest level.

“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,” Copson said.

He also urged the UK Government to use its diplomatic influence to advocate for the repeal of blasphemy laws in countries where they remain in force.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government is seeking a pardon for Sivarasa.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met members of Sivarasa’s family in September and assured them that his administration would make efforts to secure his release.

The government has also deployed a four-member legal delegation to Saudi Arabia to meet lawyers handling the case.

Religious leaders and civil society organisations in Sri Lanka have joined the calls for intervention, with Buddhist and Hindu representatives submitting a memorandum to the presidential secretariat.

Sivarasa’s brother, Hamsidan, told the BBC that the family contacted the Sri Lankan embassy after losing communication with him.

He said the incident became known in Saudi Arabia after individuals in Sri Lanka reportedly sent emails about the Facebook comment to Sivarasa’s employer.

Saudi Arabia has faced criticism from human rights organisations over harsh punishments for online speech.

However, executions for blasphemy are considered relatively rare compared with capital offences such as murder and drug-related crimes.