A Saudi Arabian appeals court has sentenced Sri Lankan migrant worker Sivarasa Anojan to death over a Facebook post said to insult Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Sri Lanka's government says it is pursuing legal and diplomatic options. Lawmakers have asked Saudi Arabia for royal clemency.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament on September 22,2026 that the sentence was imposed on September 1. He said the appeals court changed the earlier decision after prosecutors appealed. The court treated the case as an offense under Sharia law, as insulting and defaming the Prophet, instead of a cybercrime.
Anojan is a Sri Lankian Tamil from Kalmunai, in the east of the country. His age is reported to be somewhere between 24-26. He went to Saudi Arabia for work in September 2025. He was taken into custody on July 2,2026 over a Facebook post that was considered to be religiously sensitive. The content of the post has not been made public.
A Saudi criminal court first sentenced him to five years in prison and a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals under the anti-cybercrime law. Prosecutors appealed, asking for trial under Sharia law, and the appeals court then imposed the death penalty.
Deputy Speaker of Sri Lanka Rizvi Salih has been proposed to lead a cross-party delegation to Saudi Arabia. It would deliver a government letter appealing against the sentence. On September 28, a group of Tamil and Muslim lawmakers wrote jointly to the Saudi government asking for royal clemency. They said they had learned through the media that the sentence had been raised.
Many Sri Lankans work in the Gulf, and past cases have left a deep mark. Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan worker, was executed in Saudi Arabia in 2013. Writers and politicians have urged the government not to repeat past failures. They want strong consular help, legal aid and better pre-departure guidance on social media conduct and local laws.
Anojan's family in Kalmunai has been seeking help. The case has caused fear and anger among migrant workers and their relatives.
Unless clemency or a legal challenge succeeds, Anojan faces execution.
