Royal pardon sought for Sri Lankan sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia

All documents required to seek a Royal Pardon for Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, have been prepared, his family has been informed.

Efforts to secure his release are being coordinated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A four-member delegation, including President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma and Faiszer Musthapha, is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia tomorrow to hold discussions aimed at commuting Anojan’s death sentence.

The delegation is expected to meet representatives of two Bar Associations in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday or Thursday.

Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu religious leaders and members of the public have also submitted letters to the President calling for Anojan’s release. The Chief Prelates of the Ramanya Maha Nikaya and the Amarapura Maha Nikaya recently handed over a memorandum seeking state intervention.

Anoj​an, 27, had been working in Saudi Arabia when he was arrested over a Facebook comment deemed insulting to the Prophet.

The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court initially sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals over the social media statement.

Following an appeal filed on his behalf, a further application was submitted challenging the sentence. The death penalty was subsequently imposed after the appeals were considered.

Activist Rajkumar Rajeevkanth said Anojan had since been transferred to a prison holding death-row inmates and that fewer than 10 days remained to lodge an appeal seeking his release.

He said Amnesty International had also made representations to the Saudi Government, while several other international organisations had sent letters seeking clemency for Anojan.