Saudi court sentences Sri Lankan national to death

A Sri Lankan national working in Saudi Arabia, Sivarasa Anojan, has been sentenced to death by an appeals court, reports Asian Mirror.

Sivarasa Anojan is an ethnic Tamil citizen from the Natpiddimonay area in the city of Kalmunai, Ampara District, Sri Lanka. He had been working in Saudi Arabia.

His case began following a religious dispute on social media. It was revealed that Anojan had left a comment on Facebook during a heated debate between different religious communities. This comment was deemed to have insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and was subsequently reported to the Saudi authorities.

The conflict escalated following events related to the traditional Hindu pilgrimage to Kataragama held this year. A stray dog named Subramaniam, which had traveled hundreds of kilometers with the pilgrims, became popular on social media. Public outrage sparked after a video circulated in Kalmunai showing a Muslim youth kicking the dog. Following this, fierce debates broke out among various religious communities on social media.

In July 2026, Anojan was sentenced to five years in prison by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court and fined 3 million Saudi Riyals. Afterward, his defense attorneys appealed the court's decision. The appeal was submitted to the relevant court on August 25.

However, as a result of the appeal reviewed on September 17, the sentence was not commuted; instead, it was reportedly aggravated to the death penalty. Anojan's lawyer verbally informed the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh about this decision. The embassy stated that it is awaiting the official written ruling of the court.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka stated that it is monitoring the case through the embassy in Riyadh and that diplomatic dialogue with the Saudi government is ongoing. Anojan's family has also appealed to the Sri Lankan government to take immediate action to save his life.

According to the source, the family has also raised questions regarding certain issues related to the trial and legal assistance. Legal and diplomatic processes regarding Anojan's case are ongoing.