Sri Lankan Worker Faces Death for Facebook Comment in Saudi Arabia
A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker, Anojan Sivarasa, was sentenced to death on appeal in Saudi Arabia for a Facebook comment deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad.
Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Kalmunai, Sri Lanka, was sentenced to death by an appellate court in Saudi Arabia on 17 September 2026. The sentence was for a Facebook comment deemed blasphemous against the Prophet Mohammad, a case that shows the severe risks of non-violent expression in the kingdom.
He was arrested on 1 July 2026 after a screenshot of his comment was reported to his employer and Saudi authorities. His personal devices were seized and his social media accounts deleted. Sivarasa told the judge he made the comment in a moment of anger, later deleting it and publishing a video apology expressing remorse. The initial sentence on 27 July from the Criminal Court in Al Ahsa was five years in prison and a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals, equivalent to about $800,000. Less than two months later, the Court of Appeal in the Eastern Region increased the punishment to death as a mandatory hadd penalty under Sharia law, granting a prosecution request.
His family has had no updates on his condition since 28 September. His brother, Hamsidan Sivarasa, noted he had not called for two days. Their mother, Rasamanickam Yogalakshmi, pleaded for mercy for her son's wrongs and asked for his return. The Sri Lankan government has instructed the family to refrain from making further public statements.
Legal Context in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has no written penal code. Many offences and punishments are not defined in law but are left to judicial discretion based on interpretation of Sharia. Where written laws exist, authorities often rely on vague provisions in counter-terrorism and anti-cybercrime legislation, such as impinging on public order or religious values, to criminalize free expression.
This lack of codification allows for extreme sentencing disparities, particularly on appeal. Courts have imposed prison sentences of up to several decades for social media posts in recent years. Sentencing a man to death over a Facebook comment is a chilling illustration of Saudi authorities' willingness to impose cruel and irreversible punishment for conduct that should not be criminalized. Saudi Arabia remains one of the world's leading executioners, carrying out executions without warning families or foreign embassies.
International Response and Human Rights Concerns
Amnesty International has condemned the sentence as a violation of freedom of expression. Heba Morayef, Amnesty's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stressed that no one should face imprisonment or execution merely for expressing views, even offensive ones. She argued the charges stem entirely from exercising the right to freedom of expression and that an execution would amount to an arbitrary deprivation of life.
The organization highlighted that international human rights law restricts the death penalty to the most serious crimes, understood to involve intentional killing. Amnesty called for Sivarasa's immediate and unconditional release, for the death sentence to be quashed, and for Saudi Arabia to establish a moratorium on executions. It also alleged Sivarasa was denied access to a lawyer from his arrest until his initial sentencing.
Despite the severity of the case, it has so far received little international attention or intervention from major human rights groups. Executions in Saudi Arabia continue at a high rate. By 5 October 2026, at least 175 people had been executed that year, including at least 94 foreign nationals from more than 20 countries.
Family and Government Appeals
The Sri Lankan government has pledged to seek a pardon. Following a family meeting with President Dissanayake on 21 September, the government assured them Colombo would spare no effort to obtain clemency. However, an earlier appeal to reduce the sentence was rejected by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. The family now waits, with the government's assurance its only current recourse.
The Sri Lankan government has assured the family it will spare no effort to obtain a pardon following their meeting with the president on 21 September.
