Sri Lankan Faces Death in Saudi Over Insult
A Saudi court has sentenced Anujan Sivarasara, 24 years old and working in Saudi Arabia, to death for insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad via a Facebook comment. The incident dates back to a disagreement over a Hindu pilgrimage trip in Sri Lanka, during which Anujan deleted the comment and apologized. However, the incident spread widely and sparked widespread outrage, prompting Saudi authorities to arrest him, seize his devices, and delete his social media accounts. The initial sentence of five years in prison and an $800,000 fine was increased to the death penalty after an appeal by the prosecution, according to the court’s decision. Sri Lankan authorities called for his mercy, as it was reported that emails sent to his employer in Sri Lanka led to the case being initiated.
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