Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence imposed on Sri Lankan migrant worker for alleged blasphemy against Islam, the Sri Lankan government said on Wednesday.
Anojan Sivarasa, 27, was sentenced to death last month over a Facebook post. The Sri Lankan government welcomed the court's decision, which came after diplomatic efforts to secure his release, AFP reported.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake welcomed the Supreme Court's decision in a post on X, thanking Saudi Arabia for the outcome and acknowledging the efforts made by officials from both countries.
"I express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Saudi Arabia for this humane and just outcome," Dissanayake said.
{{/usCountry}}"I express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Saudi Arabia for this humane and just outcome," Dissanayake said.
{{/usCountry}}"I also thank the many Saudi Arabian and Sri Lankan diplomats, civil servants and legal teams for their dedicated efforts."
The Sri Lankan worker had deleted the Facebook comment and apologised, but complaints against him led to his arrest in July. He was initially sentenced to five years in prison, a punishment he appealed against. An appellate court subsequently increased the sentence to death.
The Supreme Court's decision comes after weeks of concern in Sri Lanka over the case, with the government pursuing diplomatic efforts and Sivarasa's family appealing for his life to be spared.
How a Facebook comment led to his arrest
According to an earlier BBC report, the case was linked to a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka and a viral video from June showing a Muslim man kicking a dog following the pilgrims.
After a user insulted a Hindu deity, Sivarasa posted a response in Tamil that insulted Prophet Muhammad.
Sivarasa quickly deleted the comment and posted an apology, but a screenshot of the post had already been taken. His employer in Saudi Arabia was alerted to the screenshot and subsequently informed the authorities, leading to his arrest. His devices were reportedly seized and his social media accounts deleted.
"People in Saudi Arabia knew nothing about this matter. It was individuals in Sri Lanka who sent emails to the company where my brother worked," Sivarasa's brother, Hamsidan, told BBC Sinhala.
Sivarasa hails from Sri Lanka's Eastern Province and travelled to Saudi Arabia for work about nine months ago, news agency PTI reported last month.
How a five-year sentence became a death penalty
The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court initially sentenced Sivarasa to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals.
The case took a turn last month after prosecutors sought to have him tried under Sharia law. The appellate court approved the request, paving the way for the death sentence.
The Sri Lankan government had earlier said it was closely following the case. According to the BBC, Sivarasa's family had not received an update on his condition since September 28.
(With inputs from AFP)