“I ask for your mercy for the mistakes my son has committed. Please forgive him and return him to us.”
With these words mixed with tears, Sri Lankan Rasamanikam Yogalakshmi made a desperate appeal to save the life of her eldest son, Anujan Sivarasa.
The 24-year-old migrant worker faces the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, after an appeals court convicted him of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, due to a comment he wrote on Facebook.
The case sparked widespread shock in Sri Lanka, leading to growing concern and petitions from civil society organizations across the country. Several political parties and government agencies also coordinated diplomatic efforts to seek an amnesty.
However, the family has not received any updates about his condition since September 28. The Sri Lankan government had asked the family to refrain from making further statements while diplomatic efforts continued.
The Saudi authorities have not published an official timetable for implementing the ruling, and it is still unclear when it will be implemented.
Saudi Arabia has a record of carrying out death sentences without prior notification to families or foreign embassies, as relatives are not notified only after the sentence is carried out.
Anujan was prosecuted after a dispute on social media, which followed an incident that occurred during a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka.
In late June, footage of a young Muslim man kicking a dog as he walked behind Hindu pilgrims was widely circulated on social media, sparking a religious debate online.
During these debates, one of the users posted insulting comments about one of the Hindu gods, which prompted Anujan to publish a response in Tamil that included an insult to the Prophet Muhammad.
Although Anujan quickly deleted his comment and posted a video apologizing, a screenshot of the comment was captured and reached his employer and the Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest in July.
His personal devices were later confiscated, and the Saudi authorities deleted his social media accounts.
His brother, Hamsidhan Sivarasa, told the BBC Sinhala service: “No one in Saudi Arabia knew anything about this matter. It was individuals in Sri Lanka who sent emails to the company where my brother worked. I don’t even want to say who these people are.”
According to Hamsidan, the company Anujan works for informed the authorities in Saudi Arabia, who opened a case against him.
The Criminal Court in Al-Ahsa region initially sentenced Anujan to five years in prison, in addition to a fine of three million Saudi riyals (about 800 thousand dollars). According to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, the appeal filed on behalf of Anujan seeking to reduce his sentence was rejected.
On September 17, the case witnessed a radical transformation after the Saudi prosecution filed an appeal demanding that Anujan be tried under Islamic law, instead of the country’s cybercrime law. The Court of Appeal responded to the prosecution's request and increased the penalty to death.
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is taking all available steps to assist Anujan.
Anujan's family met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on September 21. The president assured them that the government would spare no effort to obtain a general pardon for him, and directed diplomatic channels to communicate with the Saudi authorities.
The cause also mobilized support from various religious sects. Senior Buddhist leaders, along with Hindu religious leaders, submitted a memorandum to the Presidential Secretariat calling for urgent state intervention.
In addition, a four-member Sri Lankan legal delegation is heading to Saudi Arabia this week to meet with Anujan's local defense team.
A member of the delegation, presidential advisor Upul Kumara Peruma, told the BBC Sinhala service: “There are two law firms in Saudi Arabia handling Anujan’s case. We are going to meet the lawyers of these two firms, discuss the case, and make a plan for what can be done next.”
Meanwhile, communications between Anujan and his family in his country were completely cut off.
“My brother has not called for two days,” Hamsidan said on September 28. “We informed the embassy and asked the officials to look into the matter and update us. They said they would check it. We are still waiting, as we have not received any response yet.”
In Saudi prisons, death row inmates usually lose access to personal mobile phones, and official communications are conducted exclusively through prison authorities.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about harsh sentences associated with online expression in Saudi Arabia.
In July 2023, Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, a retired Saudi teacher, was sentenced to death for comments he posted on several social media platforms, according to the United Nations.
