Diplomatic Efforts Underway to Save Sri Lankan Youth Sentenced to Death in Saudi Arabia

A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, Anojaan Sivarasa, is facing execution after the Saudi Supreme Court sentenced him to death for blasphemy against Islam and Prophet Muhammad on social media. The incident originated from a social media dispute following a religious event in Sri Lanka, where Anojaan responded to insults against Hinduism with comments in Tamil about Islam, which he quickly deleted and apologized for. Despite his apology, screenshots reached Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest in July and an initial sentence of five years imprisonment and a 3 million Saudi riyal fine. Saudi prosecutors later successfully appealed to try him under Sharia law rather than cybercrime legislation, resulting in the death penalty. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, diplomatic officials, and a coalition of Buddhist and Hindu leaders are actively engaging in diplomatic interventions to seek a royal pardon, while his family desperately pleads for mercy.