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Major update in case of man facing death sentence over deleted Facebook post
A major update has emerged in the case of the migrant worker facing the death sentence in Saudi Arabia over a deleted Facebook post.
Anojan Sivarasa, a 27-year-old from Kalmunai in Sri Lanka's eastern province, was sentenced to death in September after posting a comment about the Prophet Muhammad on Facebook.
He had been in Saudi Arabia for less than a year when he was arrested in July, prompting international concern over the severity of his punishment.
However, after weeks of diplomatic efforts and calls for his release, Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has now overturned his death sentence.
Why was Sivarasa sentenced to death?
The ordeal began in June with a viral video on the platform that showed an alleged Muslim man kicking a stray dog that had accompanied some Hindu pilgrims.
During an online debate, a user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity, leading Sivarasa to respond in Tamil, insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
Sivarasa later deleted his post and shared an apology video, but screenshots were sent to his employer and passed on to Saudi police, which led to his arrest in July.
His personal devices were later seized, and his social media accounts were deleted by authorities.
According to the BBC, the migrant worker was initially sentenced to five years in prison and was also given a fine of 3m Saudi riyals (about $792,980) by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court.
However, the case took a turn on September 17 after Saudi prosecutors appealed for Sivarasa to be prosecuted under Sharia law. The appellate court granted the request and increased his sentence to the death penalty.
The decision sent shockwaves through Sri Lanka and beyond, with international rights groups joining calls for Saudi Arabia to spare his life.
Amnesty International urged Saudi police to release the 27-year-old "immediately and unconditionally".
"The case raises alarming concerns about the application of the death penalty and the arbitrariness of the Saudi criminal justice system, with his initial sentence of five years transformed into a death sentence less than two months later on appeal," regional director Heba Morayef said.
"Anojan Sivarasa was exercising his right to freedom of expression, and his execution would amount to arbitrary deprivation of life," she added.
Joey Shea, a senior Saudi Arabian researcher at Human Rights Watch, also condemned the punishment.
"Saudi authorities should end their use of abusive laws to hand out extraordinary sentences for speech-related offenses, especially against migrant workers who are already in a vulnerable position with limited protection," Shea said.
Saudi Arabia overturns the death penalty
On Wednesday (October 14), Saudi Arabia's top court overturned the death sentence.
Colombo's Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra revealed the news in a post on Facebook, where he expressed gratitude to the authorities and legal teams from both countries for their efforts.
However, it remains unclear whether there will be further legal proceedings or how long Sivarasa will remain in detention.
Saudi Arabia has been identified as one of the world's leading executioners. In 2025 alone, the nation has carried out at least 356 executions, the highest on record and up from 345 in 2024, per The Independent.