President Meets Parents of Sri Lankan Man Facing Death Sentence in Saudi Arabia

The parents of Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan national sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (21).

During the meeting, the parents explained their son’s situation to the President and appealed for his immediate intervention to secure his life and take all possible steps to prevent the execution.

After listening to their concerns, President Dissanayake said the government was making every possible effort to obtain a pardon for Anojan. He said the government would pursue the matter through both legal and diplomatic channels.

The President also said steps would be taken to make a formal written diplomatic request to the King of Saudi Arabia seeking a pardon for Anojan.

Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said his ministry was closely monitoring the case through the Sri Lankan Embassy in Saudi Arabia and was taking necessary measures through diplomatic channels in discussions with Saudi authorities.

Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer, along with members of Sivarasa Anojan’s family, also attended the meeting.