Sri Lankan migrant worker sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over ‘derogatory’ comment about Prophet Muhammad

Sivarasa Anojan, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu migrant worker, has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over a derogatory Facebook post about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).after an appellate court escalated his charges over a social media post.

While living in Saudi Arabia, Sivarasa Anojan wrote derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Muhammad. The comment later went viral. It came to the attention of Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest. 

Anojan had initially been sentenced by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court to five years in prison and a fine of three million Saudi Riyals. The sentence was later increased to capital punishment after the Saudi prosecution appealed against the original ruling.

Anoj­an travelled to Saudi Arabia for work in September 2025 and was arrested on July 2, 2026, according to Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath's account to the Sri Lankan Parliament.

The Sri Lankan government is making efforts to save him. His family recently met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. A delegation led by the Deputy Speaker is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia. It will carry a letter from Dissanayake to the Saudi King seeking a pardon.