Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence imposed on Sri Lankan migrant worker for alleged blasphemy against Islam, the Sri Lankan government said on Wednesday.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision in a post on X, thanking Saudi Arabia for the outcome and acknowledging the efforts made by officials from both countries.
“I express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Saudi Arabia for this humane and just outcome,” Dissanayake said. “I also thank the many Saudi Arabian and Sri Lankan diplomats, civil servants and legal teams for their dedicated efforts.”
The Supreme Court’s decision comes after weeks of concern in Sri Lanka over the case, with the government pursuing diplomatic efforts and Sivarasa’s family appealing for his life to be spared. Sivarasa’s family had not received an update on his condition since September 28. (With inputs from AFP), according to the BBC.
The Sri Lankan government had earlier said it was closely following the case.
Sivarasa hails from Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province and travelled to Saudi Arabia for work about nine months ago, news agency PTI reported last month. After a user insulted a Hindu deity, Sivarasa posted a response in Tamil that insulted Prophet Muhammad. Sivarasa quickly deleted the comment and posted an apology, but a screenshot of the post had already been taken. His employer in Saudi Arabia was alerted to the screenshot and subsequently informed the authorities, leading to his arrest. His devices were reportedly seized and his social media accounts deleted. “People in Saudi Arabia knew nothing about this matter. The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court initially sentenced Sivarasa to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals. The case took a turn last month after prosecutors sought to have him tried under Sharia law. The appellate court approved the request, paving the way for the death sentence.
The case was linked to a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka and a viral video from June showing a Muslim man kicking a dog following the pilgrims, according to an earlier BBC report. It was individuals in Sri Lanka who sent emails to the company where my brother worked,” Sivarasa’s brother, Hamsidan, told BBC Sinhala.
