Saudi Arabia has dropped all charges against 24-year-old Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu migrant worker who was sentenced to death in September over an alleged Facebook post insulting Prophet Muhammad. The Kingdom’s Public Prosecution Office decided to withdraw all charges on November 9, bringing an end to the legal proceedings against him, as reported in OpIndia.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry announced the development on Wednesday and confirmed that arrangements were underway to bring Anojan back home. Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said that all necessary arrangements would be made to facilitate his return following his release from all legal proceedings and penalties in Saudi Arabia. He indicated that Anojan could return to Sri Lanka within the next one to two weeks.
Anoj an’s family also visited the Foreign Ministry to express their gratitude to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the ministry, government officials and organisations that had helped secure his release.
Herath acknowledged President Dissanayake’s leadership and the diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Foreign Ministry. He also thanked the Saudi Arabian government and its courts, the legal team that travelled to Saudi Arabia to assist with the case, and the diplomatic missions and officials of both countries.
Supreme Court Had Earlier Overturned Death Sentence
The latest development follows an earlier intervention by Sri Lankan authorities that led to Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court overturning Anojan’s death sentence on October 14.
Although the execution verdict was set aside, other legal proceedings and penalties remained in place. The Sri Lankan government continued its diplomatic efforts to ensure that all outstanding legal matters were resolved and that Anojan could return home safely.
Anoj an had originally been sentenced to death by an appellate court on September 17 over allegations that he had insulted Prophet Muhammad through a Facebook post.
How a Facebook Post Led to Death Sentence
The controversy reportedly began in late June 2026 after a video of a young Muslim man kicking a dog that was following Hindu pilgrims during the annual foot pilgrimage to Kataragama in Sri Lanka went viral on social media.
The incident triggered an online argument, during which insulting remarks were allegedly directed at a Hindu deity. Anojan responded to the remarks through a Facebook post that was subsequently accused of being blasphemous.
He later deleted the post and uploaded an apology video.
According to his brother, someone had taken a screenshot of the Facebook post and sent it to Anojan’s employer and Saudi authorities, eventually leading to his arrest and imprisonment in July.
Speaking about the circumstances surrounding the arrest, his brother alleged that the complaint had originated from individuals in Sri Lanka rather than people in Saudi Arabia.
“People in Saudi Arabia knew nothing about this matter. It was individuals in Sri Lanka who sent emails to the company where my brother worked. I do not even wish to mention who those people are,” he said.
Five-Year Prison Sentence Converted to Death Penalty
Following his arrest, the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court initially sentenced Anojan to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals.
However, prosecutors subsequently sought to have him tried under Sharia law over the alleged blasphemy. The appellate court accepted the prosecution’s request and replaced the original five-year prison sentence with the death penalty.
The September 17 verdict triggered diplomatic intervention by Sri Lankan authorities, which eventually resulted in the Supreme Court overturning the execution sentence on October 14.
With the Public Prosecution Office now dropping all charges and legal proceedings against him, the Sri Lankan government is making arrangements for his return.
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