Sri Lankan MP seeks PM Modi's help for Tamil youth facing death over blasphemy

Sri Lankan Opposition MP Mano Ganesan has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to ask PM Modi to intervene in the case of a Tamil youth reportedly sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over an alleged blasphemous social media post.

The family of Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan national from the Eastern Province, claims a Saudi court sentenced him to death. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry has not confirmed the sentence and is awaiting the written judgment.

Ganesan said PM Modi’s ties with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could help secure a humanitarian resolution.

“I urge President Anura Dissanayake to bring Anojan Sivarasa’s desperate plight to the urgent attention of your friend, recipient of ‘Sri Lanka Rathna’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he wrote on X.

“Given PM Modi’s close ties with Saudi Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I appeal to you to ask PM Modi to personally intervene,” he added.

Sivarasa, a resident of Natpittimunai in Kalmunai, travelled to Saudi Arabia for work nine months ago, according to Sri Lankan media outlet NewsFirst.

The Daily Mirror reported that he was initially sentenced to five years in prison and fined three million Saudi riyals after being convicted over a social media post deemed insulting to a religion.

His lawyer later verbally informed the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh that the punishment had reportedly been increased to a death sentence. The embassy is awaiting formal confirmation from Saudi judicial authorities.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said it remained in contact with Saudi authorities and was taking steps to protect Sivarasa’s interests.

Sivarasa’s lawyer has told the embassy that the judgment can be challenged before Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court within a month.

The embassy is coordinating with the Foreign Ministry and his family to pursue the appeal while Colombo awaits formal confirmation of the sentence.