Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence imposed on Sri Lankan Hindu migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa over a Facebook comment deemed insulting to Prophet Muhammad. While the ruling removes the immediate threat of execution, it does not mean Sivarasa has been acquitted or released from prison. His case has been referred back to a lower court, which is expected to hold another hearing within two weeks.
Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra said the Supreme Court set aside Sivarasa’s death sentence on Tuesday. He thanked Saudi officials, Sri Lankan diplomats and lawyers from both countries for their efforts to challenge the punishment.
However, the ruling does not bring the case to a close. Sri Lankan lawyer Upul Kumarapperuma, who travelled to Riyadh as part of the government-backed legal team, said that the Supreme Court had referred the matter back to the lower court that originally heard it. Another hearing was expected within two weeks, and a fresh sentence was likely.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake welcomed the decision while pledging continued support for Sivarasa and his family as the legal proceedings continue. In a post on X, he wrote, “No Sri Lankan who leaves our shores in search of a livelihood should ever feel that they stand alone.”
The Supreme Court’s decision follows months of legal proceedings that began with a social media dispute and escalated into a case carrying the death penalty.
How did a Facebook comment lead to a blasphemy case?
The controversy began in late June, when a video circulated showing a man kicking a dog that had been following Hindu pilgrims in Sri Lanka. The animal, known as Subramani, had attracted public attention during a pilgrimage to Kataragama, a shrine associated with the Hindu deity Skanda. The footage triggered arguments about religion on social media.
During the ensuing exchange, another user allegedly insulted a Hindu deity. Sivarasa responded in Tamil with a comment that Saudi authorities later considered offensive to Prophet Muhammad. Although he deleted the comment and posted an apology video, a screenshot had already been captured and circulated.
The screenshot eventually reached Sivarasa’s employer in Saudi Arabia. His brother, Hamsidan, said people in Sri Lanka had emailed the image to the employer, who then took the matter to the authorities. Sivarasa was arrested in July.
Human Rights Watch said Sivarasa had travelled to Saudi Arabia for construction work and was the main earner for his family. What began as an online argument thus became a criminal case, with the punishment escalating sharply as the matter moved through the Saudi judicial system.
How did a five-year jail term become a death sentence?
According to court documents reviewed by Human Rights Watch, the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court convicted Sivarasa under Saudi Arabia’s anti-cybercrime law on July 27. It sentenced him to five years in prison, imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals (approximately $800,000) and ordered the confiscation of his device and the closure of his Facebook account.
The punishment subsequently became more severe after both sides appealed. While Sivarasa’s defence challenged the conviction and sentence, prosecutors sought a harsher punishment under Islamic law.
On September 17, the Court of Appeal in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region replaced the original punishment with a death sentence for insulting Prophet Muhammad. The ruling prompted a further appeal, which was filed before the Supreme Court on October 11.
That appeal led to the latest decision overturning the death sentence. However, with the case now back before the lower court, the final punishment and the prospect of Sivarasa’s release remain uncertain.
