A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker, Anojan Sivarasa, is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia after an appellate court found him guilty of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The charge relates to a comment he made on Facebook.
Mr Sivarasa was initially sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals (approximately £0.6 million) by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court. However, on 17 September, Saudi prosecutors appealed for him to be prosecuted under Sharia law instead of cybercrime legislation. The appellate court granted this request, increasing his sentence to the death penalty.
The case has prompted diplomatic efforts from the Sri Lankan government, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming it is taking all available steps to assist Mr Sivarasa. His family met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on 21 September, who assured them of government efforts to obtain a general pardon.
A four-member Sri Lankan legal delegation is travelling to Saudi Arabia this week to meet Mr Sivarasa's local defence lawyers. His family has had no updates on his condition since 28 September, and communication between Mr Sivarasa and his family has ceased.