Tamil, Muslim MPs seek clemency for Sri Lankan facing death sentence in Saudi Arabia

A group of Muslim and Tamil party MPs has appealed to Saudi Arabia to grant Royal clemency to Sri Lankan migrant worker Sivarasa Anojan, who faces a death sentence in the Kingdom over a Facebook comment.

In a letter dated 24 September, 2026 and addressed to the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, the MPs wrote: “The purpose of this communication directly to your Excellency is to appeal for your most urgent and empathetic assistance to seek Royal clemency for a Sri Lankan youth, who is a victim of circumstances, charged with a criminal offence and held in prison in Saudi Arabia.”

The signatories are Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Rauff Hakeem, All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) MP Rishad Bathiudeen, Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) MP V. Radhakrishnan, Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) MP Jeevan Thondaman, Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) MP Selvam Adaikalanathan and Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.

The MPs said they had learnt through media reports that Anojan’s original sentence had been enhanced to death by the higher court that heard his appeal. “The original sentence imposed by the lower court amounted to five years’ imprisonment and payment of a penalty, for an offence said to have been committed against religion,” the letter said.

They said a final appeal to the Kingdom’s highest court would involve ‘huge legal costs, beyond any means of affordability’ for his family, whom they described as coming from ‘the lowest social strata and underprivileged background’ in Sri Lanka.

“As representatives of the people of Sri Lanka, we wish to inform your Excellency that we collectively vouch for that youth’s innocence (or his consistent pro-peace profile and conduct),” the MPs wrote.

“As a migrant worker, living far off from his family and community, it was likely that he may have had a disturbed mind, which may have instantly reacted to an untoward situation that occurred in Sri Lanka. However, we would assure you that he immediately retracted his comment on his Facebook and deleted it by offering an apology as well. We further affirm that it was not his character to have intentionally committed it, expecting to disrespect or offend Islam,” the letter said.

The MPs also called on the Sri Lankan Government “to place before Parliament and the public confirmed information relating to the case, including the nature of the offence, legal and diplomatic approaches followed, and his current situation.”

“We would therefore respectfully appeal to your Excellency to help spare this unfortunate victim of circumstances from any form of punishment, and save his innocent life in the true spirit of Islam. Accordingly, we would be most grateful if your Excellency’s Government could grant Royal clemency to that youth, benevolently manifesting the highest ideal of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and Islam: tolerance and empathy,” the letter concluded.

Copies were sent to Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath, the Acting Head of Mission at the Saudi Embassy in Colombo and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ameer Ajward.

The appeal adds to Government efforts on the case. Minister Herath told Parliament on 22 September that Anojan had been sentenced to death following an appeal by the Saudi prosecution, which sought to have him prosecuted under Sharia law rather than the Kingdom’s cybercrime legislation. 

Herath said the Government would bear all legal costs incurred in Saudi Arabia and that a delegation led by the Deputy Speaker would travel to Saudi Arabia to deliver a letter from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to the Saudi King seeking a pardon. 

The Attorney General’s Department has said it will file an appeal before the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia within the stipulated 30-day period.