Sri Lankan Worker Sentenced to 5 Years in Saudi Arabia Over Social Media Post
A Sri Lankan man has reportedly been sentenced to five years in prison and fined SAR 3 million in Saudi Arabia over a controversial comment posted on social media.
The individual has been identified as Sivarasa Anojan, a native of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, who was employed in Saudi Arabia.
According to reports, Anojan allegedly posted a Facebook comment during an online discussion that was deemed insulting to Islamic beliefs and the Prophet Muhammad.
It is reported that he realized the seriousness of his comment and deleted the post within 5 to 10 minutes. He also publicly apologized to the Muslim community through written statements and a Facebook Live video.
However, screenshots of the original post had already been widely shared on social media before it was deleted. Following the circulation of the screenshots, several individuals and organizations in Saudi Arabia reportedly lodged complaints with the police as well as with his employer.
Saudi authorities subsequently arrested Anojan and initiated legal proceedings against him under the Kingdom’s cybercrime laws and provisions relating to blasphemy.
Following court proceedings, he was reportedly sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a SAR 3 million fine.
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