A Saudi appellate court sentenced 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa to death on 17 September 2026. The court ruled that his Facebook comment insulted the Prophet Muhammad.
Sivarasa worked in Saudi Arabia for less than a year before his arrest. In June 2026 he joined an online argument that began with a video of a man kicking a dog near Hindu pilgrims. Another user made derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity. Sivarasa then posted an insulting comment about the Prophet Muhammad in Tamil.
He deleted the comment within minutes. He also published a video apology in which he expressed remorse. However, someone took a screenshot and sent it to his employer. The employer reported the matter to Saudi authorities.
Police arrested Sivarasa on 1 July 2026. Authorities denied him access to a lawyer from the moment of arrest until his first sentencing. On 27 July the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court sentenced him to five years in prison and a fine of three million Saudi riyals under the Anti-Cybercrime Law.
Prosecutors later appealed. They asked the court to try him under Sharia law instead. On 17 September the Court of Appeal in the Eastern Region granted the request and imposed the death penalty as a hadd punishment.
Sivarasa’s mother, Rasamanickam Yogalakshmi, pleaded for mercy. She said, “I plead for mercy for the wrongs committed by my son. Please forgive him and send him back to us.”
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed that an earlier appeal to reduce the prison sentence failed. The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry then sent a four-member legal team to Riyadh to prepare a further appeal.
Amnesty International Regional Director Heba Morayef stated, “No one should be imprisoned, let alone face execution simply for expressing their views, even if these are deemed insulting or offensive.” The organisation called for the immediate release of Sivarasa.
Sivarasa’s family last heard from him on 28 September 2026. No execution date has been announced.
