Saudi Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentence for Sri Lankan Migrant Worker

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker who was convicted for a social media post deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra confirmed the ruling, which followed extensive diplomatic efforts between the two nations. Sivarasa, a member of Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority, was initially arrested in July after posting the comment on Facebook, which he later deleted and apologized for.

The legal proceedings against Sivarasa have seen conflicting outcomes. Following his arrest, a lower court initially sentenced him to five years in prison and a fine of three million Saudi riyals. An appeals court subsequently increased the penalty to death in September, drawing criticism from human rights groups like Amnesty International, which argued the case infringed upon freedom of expression. While the Supreme Court has now set aside both the death sentence and the original prison term, reports indicate the case has been sent back for reconsideration, leaving the final status of the proceedings uncertain.