Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence imposed on a Sri Lankan migrant worker over a comment he made on Facebook, Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Anojan Sivarasa, 27, was sentenced to death in September after being convicted of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad over his comment. Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra confirmed in a Facebook post that the verdict had been overturned. Hemachandra said, in a “major relief”, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday set aside the
death sentence imposed on Sivarasa.
He said this verdict was due to sustained diplomatic and legal efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka.