Amnesty Intn’l urges Saudi Govt to overturn death sentence against Sri Lankan migrant worker over social media post

Sri Lankan migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa is facing death penalty over blasphemy charges by Saudi authorities.

Saudi Arabia’s authorities must urgently overturn the death sentence issued against a migrant worker on charges of “blasphemy”, said Amnesty International today. 

The organization is calling on Saudi authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally given his charges stem entirely from his exercise of his right to freedom of expression, according to a statement issued by the human rights advocacy outfit. 

Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan national, was arrested on 1 July 2026 after posting a comment on Facebook deemed insulting to the prophet Mohammad. 

He told the judge that he made the comment during a moment of anger, and that he 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. 

He was denied access to a lawyer from the moment of his arrest and until his initial sentencing.

“The case raises alarming concerns about the application of the death penalty and the arbitrariness of the Saudi criminal justice system, with his initial sentence of five years transformed into a death sentence less than two months later on appeal. 

No one should be imprisoned, let alone face execution simply for expressing their views, even if these are deemed insulting or offensive. Anojan Sivarasa was exercising his right to freedom of expression and his execution would amount to arbitrary deprivation of life. Saudi authorities must immediately quash this death sentence, overturn his conviction and release him immediately and unconditionally,” said Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

‘International human rights law restricts the death penalty to the ‘most serious crimes,’ understood to involve intentional killing, yet the Saudi authorities have continued to impose death sentences for conduct that should not be criminalized and to execute people at a startling rate after grossly unfair trials, including for non-violent offenses.  

‘Sentencing a man to death over a social media post is a chilling illustration of the Saudi authorities’ willingness to impose this cruel and irreversible punishment, including for acts that should never be criminalized. Saudi authorities should immediately establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty as a first move towards its full abolition.” the outfit said.