Colombo (AsiaNews) – Sri Lanka is mobilising for Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan man from Kalmunai in the Eastern Province, who was sentenced to death for a Facebook comment deemed offensive to the Prophet Muhammad.
An appeal against the sentence was filed on Sunday, 11 October, with the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, thanks to the collaboration between Sri Lankan and Saudi lawyers under the coordination of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh.
The legal proceedings against Sivarasa escalated rapidly.
Arrested on 1 July 2026, the young man was initially sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of three million Saudi riyals (about US$ 800,000). However, on 17 September, an appeals court overturned the initial ruling and imposed the death penalty.
According to a plea published by Amnesty International on 7 October, Sivarasa explained to the judge that he had written the comment during an argument with a friend, in a moment of anger. He subsequently deleted the message and posted a video expressing his apologies.
The human rights organisation also reported that the young man had no access to a lawyer from the time of his arrest until his initial sentencing.
Amnesty International has called on Saudi authorities to urgently overturn the death sentence and release the young man immediately and unconditionally, given that the charges stem solely from the exercise of freedom of expression.
Back in Sri Lanka civil society groups have mobilised in support of Sivarasa. In his home village, his family has appealed to the authorities to allow him to return home.
“We want our son back. He did not commit this crime intentionally,” stated his father, Thambirasa Sivarasa, explaining that the comment arose from a discussion on social media.
His mother, Rasamanickam Yogaladchumi, highlighted the family's financial woes, noting that her son was the sole breadwinner, and pleaded for his life to be spared.
Petition drives, candlelight vigils, and collective prayers have been organised in various places across the island nation, particularly in Tamil-populated areas.
The Kandyan Hindu Priests' Association of Sri Lanka has also submitted a memorandum to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, requesting diplomatic intervention to secure the young man's release.
According to a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo, filing the appeal will cost approximately 6.6 million rupees, while expenses incurred so far have already reached nearly nine million.
The government has decided to provide financial assistance, even though it does not ordinarily cover legal costs associated with personal disputes.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajward, has visited Sivarasa at the Dammam Central Prison, located about 450 kilometres from Riyadh.
In the course of their work, the Sri Lankan legal delegation also had to contend with the temporary closure of the Saudi capital's airport following missile and drone attacks attributed to Yemen's Houthi rebels.
The Saudi Supreme Court will now review the case, focusing on the legal and procedural aspects of the ruling.
