Saudi court awards death penalty to Sri Lankan citizen over blasphemy: Report

A Saudi Arabian appeals court has reportedly sentenced a 24-year-old Sri Lankan national to death over an alleged blasphemous Facebook comment, according to reports.

The Sweden Herald reported that the Saudi appeals court sentenced Anujan Sivaarasa to death after finding him guilty of allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on Facebook.

Anujan, who is from Kalmunai, Sri Lanka, travelled to Saudi Arabia in September 2025 for employment. He was arrested in July this year following a social media dispute in Sri Lanka over a religious issue.

According to reports, Anujan posted a comment on Facebook during the online exchange that Saudi authorities deemed offensive to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

His family said that Anujan later deleted the comment and apologised. However, a screenshot of the post was reportedly shared with his employer in Saudi Arabia and subsequently brought to the attention of Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest in July.

According to a BBC report, the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court had initially sentenced Anujan to five years in prison and a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals under Saudi Arabia’s cybercrime laws. The court also ordered the confiscation of his mobile phone and the closure of his Facebook account.

Anujan subsequently appealed against the sentence, seeking a reduction in his punishment. The Saudi prosecution also filed an appeal, requesting that the case be dealt with under Sharia law rather than solely under cybercrime legislation.

On September 17, the appeals court reportedly accepted the prosecution’s request, reclassified the offence as blasphemy and increased the punishment to the death penalty.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said the government was using all available legal and diplomatic channels to assist Anujan. The Sri Lankan government is also examining the possibility of pursuing further legal action before Saudi Arabia’s higher courts and has announced that it will cover his legal expenses.

Sri Lankan authorities have decided to request a review, pardon or commutation of the death sentence. Preparations are also reportedly underway for the Sri Lankan president to submit a clemency appeal to the Saudi King. A proposal to send a parliamentary delegation to Saudi Arabia to convey the request is also under consideration.

According to Sri Lankan officials, the country’s embassy in Riyadh is providing consular assistance to Anujan and remains in contact with Saudi authorities. Two senior Sri Lankan lawyers have also expressed willingness to travel to Saudi Arabia and assist the local legal team in pursuing the case.