Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:58pm on 06 Oct 2026,Tuesday International
A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker, Anojan Sivarasa, is facing a possible death penalty in Saudi Arabia after an appellate court reportedly found him guilty of blasphemy over a Facebook comment allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad. The case followed a June video linked to a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka. After a user insulted a Hindu deity, Anojan reportedly responded in Tamil with an insult against the Prophet, then deleted the comment and apologised. A screenshot was allegedly shared with his Saudi employer, leading to his arrest. An Al-Ahsa court initially sentenced him to five years and fined him three million Saudi riyals, but prosecutors later sought a Sharia trial, paving the way for a death sentence. Sri Lanka is seeking clemency. (PC: Pexel)
