- A Sri Lankan worker received death sentence for blasphemy.
- He insulted Prophet Muhammad in a Facebook comment.
- His initial prison term escalated under Sharia law.
Saudi Arabia has sentenced a 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker to death after an appellate court convicted him of blasphemy against Islam and Prophet Muhammad over a Facebook comment. Anojan Sivarasa was initially handed a five-year prison term and a fine under cybercrime laws, but prosecutors later sought to have the case dealt with under Sharia law. His death sentence has sparked protests and appeals for clemency in Sri Lanka, with his family pleading for his release as his appeal remains pending and calling for him to be sent home.
Facebook Dispute Led To Arrest
According to BBC report, the case began in June after footage showing an alleged incident involving a Muslim man and a dog during a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka was posted on Facebook.
One commenter allegedly made derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity, prompting Anojan to respond in Tamil. His reply contained an insult directed at Prophet Muhammad, according to the case. Although he deleted the comment and later posted an apology video, screenshots of the original post had already circulated.
He was arrested in July and prosecuted over the social media post.
Sri Lanka Seeks Clemency
The death sentence has triggered protests and civil society petitions in Sri Lanka, with political parties joining calls for Anojan to be spared. His family has been unable to receive updates about his condition since September 28.
His mother appealed for mercy, saying she wanted her son forgiven and returned to the family. Anojan’s brother also told BBC Sinhala that individuals in Sri Lanka had contacted his brother’s employer about the Facebook post.
The ruling has drawn concern over the treatment of social media comments under Saudi law.
Prison Term Replaced By Death Penalty
Anojan was initially sentenced to five years in prison and fined 3 million Saudi riyals over the Facebook post. However, on September 17, Saudi prosecutors sought to move the case from cybercrime legislation to Sharia law.
The appellate court found him guilty of blasphemy against Islam and Prophet Muhammad and imposed the death penalty. Anojan now hopes his appeal against the ruling will succeed as pressure mounts for Saudi authorities to spare his life.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
