Saudi Arabia overturns dying sentence for Sri Lankan man over Facebook remark

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has put aside the dying sentence handed to a Sri Lankan migrant employee over a remark he made on Facebook, Colombo’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra mentioned.

Anojan Sivarasa, 27, was sentenced to dying in September after a Saudi appellate court docket convicted him of blasphemy in opposition to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad over his remark.

The case despatched shockwaves by Sri Lanka, spurring diplomatic efforts to hunt clemency.

Saudi Arabia’s prime court docket put aside the sentence on Wednesday,  October 14, Hemachandra mentioned in a submit on Facebook, the place he thanked the authorities and authorized groups of each nations for his or her efforts.

In late June, footage of a younger Muslim man kicking a canine following Hindu pilgrims circulated extensively on social media, triggering non secular arguments on-line.

During the alternate, a consumer posted derogatory remarks a couple of Hindu deity, main Sivarasa to reply in Tamil insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

Although Sivarasa promptly deleted the remark and posted an apology video, a screenshot of it was dropped at the eye of his employer and Saudi officers, resulting in his arrest in July.

It shouldn’t be clear if there shall be additional authorized proceedings or whether or not Sivarasa will stay in detention, and for the way lengthy.

He was initially sentenced to 5 years in jail in addition to a effective of three million Saudi riyals ($0.8m; £0.6m) by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court.

Faizer Mustafa, a Sri Lankan lawmaker who’s concerned in authorized negotiations with Saudi Arabia relating to Sivarasa’s case, confirmed to BBC Sinhala that Saudi Arabia had overturned the dying sentence, including that they’re reviewing the Supreme Court’s newest ruling.

Sivarasa’s household had earlier mentioned they’ve had no direct contact with him since 28 September.

International rights teams had additionally joined requires Saudi to spare his life.

“Saudi authorities should end their use of abusive laws to hand out extraordinary sentences for speech-related offenses, especially against migrant workers who are already in a vulnerable position with limited protections,” Joey Shea, senior Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, mentioned on Tuesday.