Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry says it is closely monitoring the case of Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan national in Saudi Arabia, after his family claimed his five-year prison sentence was increased to capital punishment following an appeal.
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on September 18 that it is monitoring the judicial case of Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan national undergoing legal proceedings in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry said the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh, working with Saudi Arabian authorities through diplomatic channels, continues to track developments and is taking steps to assist Sivarasa and protect his interests.
In July, a Saudi court sentenced Sivarasa to five years imprisonment and a fine of three million Saudi riyals after he was found guilty of posting content on social media deemed insulting to Islam and Prophet Muhammad. According to his family, the social media comment arose during an online dispute involving religious communities in Sri Lanka. Sivarasa, from Natpittimunai in Kalmunai, had travelled to Saudi Arabia for employment nine months prior to his legal proceedings.
Following the initial sentence, Sivarasa's legal team appealed with support from Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry, seeking a reduction in punishment. However, according to his family, they were subsequently informed the sentence had been increased to capital punishment. The Ministry has not confirmed this reported escalation, stating it awaits formal written judgment to clarify the legal basis for any decision.
Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has raised concerns about the government's handling of the case, questioning the selection and identity of the lawyer who appeared in the appeal proceedings and the timing of documentation provided to the family. Rasamanickam said the family was advised to appeal by Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra despite the Embassy assessing success as "extremely low," and had paid Rs. 1,890,766 in legal fees. The MP announced plans to raise the matter in Parliament and called on the government to secure independent legal representation and pursue diplomatic representations at the highest level.