A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker employed in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to death following a conviction for blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad based on a Facebook comment. The case originated from a social media dispute that escalated after an incident during a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka in late June. When derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity appeared online, the worker responded with insulting language about the Prophet Muhammad. Although he quickly deleted the comment and posted an apology video, screenshots were captured and shared with his employer and Saudi authorities.
The worker was arrested in July after his employer reported the matter to Saudi officials. He was initially sentenced by Al-Ahsa Criminal Court to five years imprisonment and a fine of approximately $0.8 million. However, on 17 September, Saudi prosecutors filed an appeal to have the case prosecuted under Sharia law rather than the country’s cybercrime legislation. An appellate court granted this request, resulting in the death penalty sentence.
The case has generated significant concern within Sri Lanka, prompting coordinated diplomatic efforts and widespread civil society support. Political parties, government bodies, and religious leaders from multiple faiths have called for intervention. The family met with the country’s president on 21 September, and a four-member legal delegation from Sri Lanka was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia to consult with defense lawyers handling the case.
The worker’s family has been unable to maintain contact with him since 28 September, citing the strict communication restrictions imposed on death row inmates in Saudi prisons. Human rights organizations have expressed concern about severe sentences for online speech in Saudi Arabia, noting that foreign workers face particular vulnerabilities in the legal system due to language barriers and limited access to proper legal representation. The case follows other instances of severe sentences handed down for social media comments, though executions specifically for blasphemy remain relatively uncommon compared with capital sentences for drug offenses or murder.
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