Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has set aside the death sentence handed to Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan worker convicted over a Facebook comment about the Prophet Muhammad. Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra confirmed on 14 October 2026 that the ruling was issued on 13 October. The Sri Lankan death sentence in Saudi Arabia had drawn wide attention back home, and the case is a sharp reminder of how seriously Saudi law treats what people post online.
What the Supreme Court decided
The Supreme Court cancelled the death penalty judgment, but the case itself is not over. Reports from Sri Lanka and regional media say Sivarasa remains in custody, and no date or detail has been given for the next stage of proceedings.
Hemachandra announced the decision on social media. He credited sustained diplomatic and legal work by the Sri Lankan government and thanked the Saudi government and the legal teams in both countries. Saudi authorities have not issued a public statement on the ruling so far.
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Follow on WhatsAppHow the case reached a death sentence
The case started with an online argument, not an act on Saudi soil. According to reporting by The Federal and Middle East Eye, the timeline ran like this:
| Date (2026) | Step |
|---|---|
| June | Facebook exchange in which he replied to an insult against a Hindu deity with a remark about the Prophet. He later deleted it and posted an apology video. |
| 1 July | Arrested |
| 15 July | Al-Ahsa Criminal Court: five years in prison and a SAR 3 million fine under cybercrime law |
| 17 September | After a prosecution appeal, the appeal court replaced that sentence with the death penalty |
| 13 October | Supreme Court sets aside the death sentence |
Sri Lanka’s government appointed lawyers, covered his legal costs and raised the case through its embassy in Riyadh. His family also met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in September.
Why this matters for expats in Saudi Arabia
Social media posts are treated as legal acts in Saudi Arabia, wherever the conversation started and whatever language it was in. Many expats in Saudi Arabia assume a heated reply in a home-country group chat or a Tamil, Urdu or Malayalam thread stays private. It does not. Screenshots travel, and in this case one reportedly reached his employer and the authorities.
The first sentence in this case came from the Anti-Cyber Crime Law. Article 6 sets up to five years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 3 million for producing, sending or storing online material that harms public order, religious values, public morals or privacy. Article 13 allows the phone or device used to be confiscated. Religious offences can also be tried under Sharia, which is how the penalty rose on appeal.
What expats should do now
- Do not reply to religious provocation online. Mute, block or leave the group. Responding in anger is exactly what created this case.
- Remember that deleting is not enough. A deleted post was still used as evidence here, along with screenshots.
- Check old posts and groups. Content you shared years ago on public pages can still be reported.
- Report abuse instead of answering it. Offensive content can be reported through the Ministry of Interior’s Kollona Amn service.
- If you are detained, contact your embassy at once. Ask for consular access and a lawyer, and ask family to inform the embassy too.
What has not changed
The Supreme Court ruling applies to this one case only. It does not change the Anti-Cyber Crime Law or how religious offences are prosecuted, and the penalties above still apply to everyone living in the Kingdom, citizens and residents alike.
We will update this story when Saudi authorities or Sri Lankan officials share what happens next in his case.