Sri Lanka assists Anojan Sivarasa amid reported Saudi death sentence

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry says it is providing diplomatic assistance to Anojan Sivarasa amid unconfirmed reports that a Saudi appeal court has increased the Sri Lankan national’s five-year prison sentence to a death sentence.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism said on September 18, 2026, that it was closely following Sivarasa’s case as he undergoes judicial proceedings in Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry said the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh, in coordination with the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Colombo, was continuing to monitor developments. It added that Sri Lanka remained engaged with the relevant Saudi authorities through diplomatic channels and was taking steps to safeguard Sivarasa’s interests and provide him with all possible assistance.

The Ministry’s official statement did not confirm reports that a death sentence had been imposed.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry also said the reported death sentence had not been confirmed by the Foreign Ministry and that the formal written judgment was still awaited. He expressed concern over reports that Sivarasa’s original five-year prison sentence had been increased to capital punishment.

Sabry said the case related to an offensive social media comment and argued that imposing the death penalty for such an act would be disproportionate. He also referred to reports that Sivarasa had removed the comment within minutes and later issued a public video apology.

Calling for mercy, Sabry urged Saudi authorities to grant Sivarasa clemency. He also called on the Sri Lankan Government to secure effective legal assistance and pursue urgent diplomatic intervention at the highest level, saying Sivarasa should be given an opportunity to return to his family and rebuild his life.

Meanwhile, MP Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam said he plans to raise the case in Parliament next week and questioned the Foreign Ministry’s handling of the appeal and legal representation provided to Sivarasa.

According to Rasamanickam, Sivarasa had originally been sentenced to five years in prison and fined SAR 3 million before an appeal reportedly resulted in a death sentence.

Rasamanickam said the Sri Lankan Embassy’s legal advice had reportedly assessed the chances of a successful appeal or a reduction of the sentence as “extremely low.” However, he said Sivarasa’s family proceeded with the appeal after meeting Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra and receiving advice on the matter.

The MP said the family subsequently paid Rs. 1,890,766 in requested legal fees into an account identified with the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He further said documents showed that the appeal had been filed on August 24, 2026, while a Ministry letter forwarding a copy of the appeal to the family was dated September 16. According to Rasamanickam, the family said it had requested the document earlier.

Rasamanickam also said the appeal identified Attorney Adlan Abdullah Al-Subaie as counsel, while the family claimed that another lawyer had actually appeared in court and that they had not been given that lawyer’s identity or contact details.

He questioned who selected and instructed the lawyer who appeared in court, how the legal fees were disbursed, why the family did not receive the appeal earlier, and what responsibility the Ministry assumed after the family proceeded with the appeal and paid the requested fees.

Rasamanickam said he intends to seek answers in Parliament over what he described as possible shortcomings in the consular and diplomatic handling of the case. However, he stressed that the immediate priority should be protecting Sivarasa’s life.

He called on the Government to secure experienced independent legal representation, pursue any remaining legal remedies and clemency procedures, and make diplomatic representations at the highest appropriate level in Saudi Arabia.

Separate reports citing Foreign Ministry sources said Sivarasa’s lawyer had verbally informed the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh that the sentence had reportedly been increased to capital punishment. However, the Embassy was still awaiting the formal written judgment from the Saudi judicial authorities.