A 24-year-old Sri Lankan national has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of blasphemy over a comment he made during a Facebook dispute.
Anojan Sivarasa, who was working in Saudi Arabia, became involved in an online argument over a video showing a Muslim man kicking a dog that had reportedly been following Hindu pilgrims in Sri Lanka.The dispute escalated after another Facebook user allegedly made derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity.
Sivarasa responded in Tamil with an insulting comment about Prophet Muhammad. He later deleted the comment and posted a video apologising for his remarks.However, screenshots of the comment had already been taken and reportedly sent to his employer, who then alerted Saudi authorities.
Sivarasa’s brother, Hamsidan Sivarasa, said individuals in Sri Lanka had contacted the company where his brother worked.Sivarasa was initially sentenced to five years in prison and fined three million Saudi riyals, equivalent to about £600,000.
An appeal seeking to reduce the punishment was later rejected, according to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.Saudi prosecutors subsequently sought to have the case prosecuted under Sharia law, a request that was granted and resulted in the punishment being increased to the death penalty.
The case has sparked widespread concern and outrage in Sri Lanka, with petitions calling on Saudi authorities to show Sivarasa mercy. Sri Lankan authorities are also seeking efforts to have the death sentence reduced.
