Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry Issues Statement on Anojan’s Saudi case
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is closely monitoring the case of Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan national undergoing judicial proceedings in Saudi Arabia, amid claims by his family that he has been sentenced to death following an appeal.
In a statement issued on September 18, the Ministry said the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh, in coordination with the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Colombo, continues to monitor developments.The Ministry said it remains engaged with Saudi authorities through diplomatic channels and is taking appropriate steps to safeguard Sivarasa’s interests and provide him with all possible assistance.However, the statement did not confirm the reported death sentence or provide details of the charges against him, the outcome of his appeal or his current legal status.
The case stems from a social media comment allegedly posted by Sivarasa while working in Saudi Arabia, which was considered insulting to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. According to his family, the comment was made during an online dispute involving religious communities in Sri Lanka.On July 15, a Saudi court sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals. His lawyer subsequently appealed the ruling, with the support of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry, seeking a reduction in the punishment.
According to his family, they have since been informed that the sentence was increased to capital punishment.
The Sri Lankan Embassy is awaiting the formal written judgment, which is expected to clarify the legal basis for the reported decision.Meanwhile, Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has raised concerns over the handling of the case and urged the government to take immediate action to save Sivarasa’s life.In a statement posted on social media, Rasamanickam said the family had proceeded with the appeal based on advice from Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, despite an assessment by the Sri Lankan Embassy describing the chances of success as “extremely low.”He said the family had paid Rs. 1,890,766 in legal fees into an account identified with the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after being instructed to do so.According to the MP, documents from the Ministry’s Consular Division show that the appeal was filed on August 24, but the Ministry’s letter forwarding the appeal to the family was dated September 16, despite repeated requests for earlier access.He also said the appeal identified attorney Adlan Abdullah Al-Subaie as counsel, but the family claims a different lawyer appeared in court without their knowledge of his identity or contact details.
Rasamanickam questioned who selected and instructed the lawyer who appeared in court, how the legal fees were disbursed and why the appeal documents were not provided to the family earlier.The MP said he intends to raise the matter in Parliament next week, seeking answers on the Foreign Ministry’s handling of the case and its consular responsibilities.
He called on the government to urgently secure experienced independent legal representation, pursue all remaining legal remedies and clemency procedures, and make diplomatic representations at the highest level in Saudi Arabia
