Saudi court spares Sri Lankan Hindu man sentenced to death over Prophet remarks on Facebook

Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence handed to Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan Hindu migrant worker. Anojan was tried for blasphemy over a Facebook comment and sentenced to death. His comment, which he promptly deleted and apologised for, came amid a row over a dog near a Hindu pilgrimage site.

In Short

• Saudi Arabia's apex court set aside death sentence handed to Sri Lankan Hindu
• He was sentenced to death for blasphemy charges for his comment against Islam
• Colombo's Deputy Foreign Minister announced Supreme Court of Saudi's decision

Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has set aside the death sentence handed to Sri Lankan Hindu migrant worker, Anojan Sivarasa, over a Facebook comment deemed insulting to Islam and Prophet Muhammad, following sustained diplomatic and legal efforts by Colombo.

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday (October 14), saying the Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court set aside the death sentence on (October 13), reported the Sri Lankan outlet, Newswire.

Sivarasa's (24) ordeal began after an incident during a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka in late June. Footage showing a young Muslim man kicking a dog following Hindu pilgrims circulated on social media and triggered a heated exchange between users.

During the online argument, a user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity. Sivarasa responded in Tamil with a comment about Prophet Muhammad. He deleted the comment soon afterwards and posted an apology video.

Although Anojan deleted the comment, screenshots were circulated, with his brother Hamsidan telling the BBC that individuals in Sri Lanka e-mailed his employer in Saudi Arabia, which alerted authorities. His devices were seized, and social media accounts deleted, according to reports.

On July 15, the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court sentenced him to five years in prison and fined him three million Saudi riyals, approximately $800,000, over the Facebook comment, before the sentence was later escalated to death.

RELIEF SECURED AFTER COLOMBO'S DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS

According to reports in British and Sri Lankan media outlets, Anojan Sivarasa's death sentence was put off due to a sustained diplomatic effort by Colombo.

Tamil Guardian reported on October 5 that six Tamil and Muslim MPs, Rauff Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen, V Radhakrishnan, Jeevan Thondaman, Selvam Adaikalanathan and Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, wrote to the Saudi foreign minister on September 24 seeking mercy.

Senior Buddhist leaders, including Mahanayake Theros of the Ramanna Maha Nikaya and Amarapura Maha Nikaya, and Hindu religious leaders had also submitted memoranda to the Sri Lankan president urging immediate intervention, according to the Tamil Guardian newspaper.

The UK-based news outlet, The Independent reported that Sri Lanka's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad, visited Anojan Sivarasa at the Dammam Central Prison, located 400 km east of Riyadh, on 8 October to enquire about his well-being after he was assaulted by his cellmate the week prior.

Newswire reported that the ruling to overturn the death sentence came after an appeal was filed before the Saudi Supreme Court on October 11. It was filed after the Saudi Court of Appeal's September 17 ruling that overturned Sivarasa's original five-year prison sentence and three-million-riyal fine, sentencing him to death for blasphemy under Sharia law.

Following the September 17 ruling, the Sri Lankan Government, led by the President and Foreign Minister, initiated diplomatic and legal efforts to challenge the death sentence. The Independent reported that the Sri Lankan government had assured his family that Colombo would spare no effort to obtain a pardon after meeting president Anura Kumara Dissanayake on September 21. It offered to cover the legal fees as well.

A special legal delegation comprising Additional Solicitor General Azad Navavi, President’s Counsel Faizer Mustapha, President's Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma and attorney Hafeel Farisz travelled to Riyadh to pursue the appeal, reported Newswire.

Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Amir Ajwad, also engaged extensively with Saudi authorities, working alongside the legal team and embassy officials.

But while Sivarasa's death penalty has been overturned, he is not out of the woods yet. Diplomatic sources told Newswire that it has not yet been confirmed whether Sivarasa will be required to serve the original five-year prison sentence imposed under Saudi Arabia's anti-cybercrime law or whether his entire conviction has been overturned.

- Ends