Saudi Arabian court overturns death sentence for Sri Lankan — The Hindu

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the decision sentencing 24-year-old Sri Lankan citizen Anoyan Sivarasa to death. He was sentenced in a case concerning a Facebook post that was deemed blasphemous. The case was referred back to the lower court that initially heard it.

Supreme Court decision

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra said on social media that Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court made the decision on October 13, 2026. He called it significant relief for Sivarasa, an engineer from the Ampara district in eastern Sri Lanka. According to Hemachandra, the decision was preceded by lengthy diplomatic and legal efforts by the Sri Lankan government.

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Retrial of the case

As The Hindu reports, senior lawyer Upul Kumarapperuma, who was part of the Sri Lankan government delegation to Riyadh, said that a hearing in the case is expected within two weeks. According to him, the court may issue a new verdict.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with Sivarasa’s family at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo in September.