Reprieve for Anojan, relief for country

The decision by the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to overturn the death sentence imposed on Sri Lankan migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa is a huge sigh of relief for Sri Lankans as well as others who worked hard to draw attention to his plight. It would also be a huge sigh of relief to the Government because if the ruling had gone the other way, the fallout could’ve been problematic.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was among those who welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, saying it brings immense relief to Anojan, his family, and all Sri Lankans who have followed his case with deep concern. The President vowed to continue to extend all necessary support to Anojan and his family as the remaining legal processes conclude.

The Government sent a special legal team to file an appeal on behalf of Anojan, with the team comprising Additional Solicitor General and President’s Counsel Azard Navavi, President’s Counsel Faizer Musthapha, President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma and Attorney-at-Law Hafeel Farisz. They made a successful intervention and deserve to be credited for the positive outcome along with many others who spoke out against the death sentence against a man for making a Facebook comment.

While international human rights groups such as Amnesty International urged Saudi Arabia’s authorities to urgently overturn the death sentence issued against the migrant worker on charges of “blasphemy”, international media too picked up on the story, with Anojan garnering a great deal of support online as well.

Anojan was arrested on 1 July 2026 after posting a comment on Facebook deemed insulting to Islam. He had subsequently deleted it and published a video apology expressing remorse. He was prosecuted swiftly and just weeks later, on 27 July, was sentenced to five years in prison and a SAR 3 million fine (around USD 800,000). Less than two months later, this was increased to a death sentence on appeal on 17 September. For now, his fine and prison sentence stand, but the Government is working to have those overturned too and have Anojan returned to the country safely.

While Anojan’s case has had a positive outcome so far, his case has also exposed the fragility of race/ethnic relations in the country. Allegations that Anojan’s comments, which were written in Tamil, were translated and sent to the Saudi authorities by certain elements in the country were provocative and cannot be condoned. This revelation opened the door to heated discussions on social media as well as derogatory comments harmful to inter-communal relations in the country. These exchanges have not only been from within Sri Lanka, but certain groups in India too have joined the debate around religion and some of the content was highly inflammatory.

There’s no doubt certain elements lie in wait for such situations which could jeopardise inter-communal relations in the country. It has happened many times in the past and it could easily happen again. To the Government’s credit, it has handled a delicate situation well so far and it is hoped that it will pursue further measures to have the young man sent home to his loved ones. His mother has been the driving force to save his life and has rallied many around her.

When Sri Lankans go overseas, particularly for employment, they are moving to foreign lands with vastly different laws from the land of their birth. There are religious and cultural sensitivities which come as a shock to many. Hence the need to sensitise them before they venture outside the country.

While it’s easy to point fingers at different groups in such a scenario, there should be acknowledgment when mistakes are made on any side and they should be resolved before they spiral out of control. There are lessons for everyone in this case.