Sri Lanka MP seeks Modi's help in Tamil youth's Saudi blasphemy case
A Sri Lankan opposition lawmaker on Saturday urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in the case of a minority Tamil youth facing judicial proceedings in Saudi Arabia.
The appeal relates to Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan national whose family has claimed that he was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over a social media post allegedly amounting to blasphemy. Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry, however, has not confirmed that Sivarasa has been given the death sentence.
In a post on X, Tamil Progressive Alliance leader Mano Ganesan said, "I urge President @anuradisanayake to bring #Anojan_Sivarasa's desperate plight to the urgent attention of your friend, recipient of 'SriLanka Rathna' Prime Minister Narendra Modi." He added, "Given PM Modi's close ties with Saudi Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I appeal to you to ask PM Modi to personally intervene with Crown Prince Salman and seek a humanitarian resolution for Anojan."
Officials said Sivarasa is a minority Tamil from Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. The NewsFirst media portal reported that he is a resident of Natpittimunai in Kalmunai and had travelled to Saudi Arabia for work nine months ago. On Friday, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The Ministry remains engaged with the relevant Saudi authorities through diplomatic channels and is taking appropriate steps to safeguard Mr. Anojan Sivarasa's interests and provide him with all possible assistance."
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Sivarasa was initially sentenced to five years in prison and fined three million Saudi riyals after being found guilty of posting social media content deemed insulting to a religion. The report said Sivarasa's lawyer later verbally informed the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh that the sentence had reportedly been enhanced to capital punishment. However, the embassy is awaiting the formal written judgment from the Saudi judicial authorities before confirming the development. The lawyer has also told the embassy that the judgment could be appealed before Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court within one month, and the embassy, in consultation with the ministry, is taking steps to pursue the appeal in coordination with Sivarasa's family.
The case has prompted a political appeal in Sri Lanka for India's help, even as the Sri Lankan authorities say they are in touch with Saudi officials and are waiting for the formal court order before confirming whether Sivarasa's sentence has been increased.
