A Sri Lankan national working in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to death on charges of blaspheming the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, the BBC reported on the 5th (local time).

According to the report, a religious dispute erupted on social media in late June after a video was posted showing a Muslim man kicking a dog following a group of pilgrims at a Hindu holy site in Sri Lanka.

During the dispute, a Facebook user posted a comment derogatory to Hindu deities, to which Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan national, replied with a comment in Tamil insulting Prophet Muhammad. Sivarasa immediately deleted the comment and posted an apology video, but the comment had already been screenshotted and reported to Saudi authorities. Sivarasa was raided and arrested in July.

Initially, a Saudi criminal court sentenced him to 5 years in prison and a fine of 3 million riyals (approximately 1.07 billion KRW), but after the prosecution appealed last month on the 17th, the charges were changed from cybercrime violations to violations of Sharia (Islamic law). The appeals court accepted this and sentenced Sivarasa to death.

In response, the Sri Lankan government has activated diplomatic channels directly under the president to request a pardon from Saudi authorities, while dispatching a legal delegation of four, including a member of parliament, to the country to seek countermeasures. High-ranking Buddhist and Hindu leaders in Sri Lanka have also submitted a joint petition to campaign for his rescue.

However, tensions are running high as Saudi authorities have a practice of carrying out executions without prior notice, and all contact between Sivarasa and his family has been completely cut off since the 28th of last month.

The BBC noted that while over 10 million foreign workers reside in Saudi Arabia, low-wage migrant workers are extremely vulnerable in judicial proceedings due to language barriers and a lack of legal assistance.

While death sentences for foreigners on blasphemy charges are unusual compared to drug or murder offenses, Saudi authorities have recently been strengthening their strict punishment stance, handing down heavy sentences for freedom of expression and remarks made online.

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