Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence imposed on Sri Lankan Tamil Anojan Sivarasa, according to Sri Lankan Minister Arun Hemachandra.
Sivarasa, a Tamil from Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, had travelled to Saudi Arabia for work. He was booked after allegedly posting a comment on social media that was deemed blasphemous in response to a post by a Sri Lankan.
A local court had earlier sentenced him to death and imposed a fine of 3 million Saudi riyals.
The minister said the Sri Lankan government had pursued sustained diplomatic and legal efforts to seek relief. In a Facebook post, he credited the outcome to continued action by the Saudi government, the Sri Lankan embassy and officials of Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry.
The Supreme Court’s decision to cancel the death sentence was reported to have been issued on Tuesday, the minister added.
