World · Sri Lanka Bureau
Amnesty calls for overturn of Sri Lankan worker's Saudi death sentence
Amnesty International has urged Saudi Arabian authorities to immediately overturn the death sentence handed down against Sri Lankan migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa on blasphemy charges. The human rights organisation contends the charges are a violation of his freedom of expression rights.
LSN Sri Lanka ·
The international human rights watchdog has intensified pressure on Saudi Arabia to reconsider its capital punishment verdict against Sivarasa, arguing that his prosecution infringes on fundamental freedoms of speech and expression.
According to Amnesty International, the blasphemy charges levelled against the Sri Lankan national do not constitute grounds for a death sentence under international human rights law. The organisation has called for Sivarasa's immediate and unconditional release, emphasising that his alleged offence stems solely from the exercise of constitutionally protected rights.
The case has drawn renewed attention to concerns over Saudi Arabia's application of its blasphemy laws, particularly regarding migrant workers who represent a significant portion of the kingdom's workforce. Sri Lankan nationals comprise one of the largest foreign worker populations in Saudi Arabia.
Amnesty International's intervention follows a pattern of the organisation raising alarms over death sentences it considers arbitrary or based on laws that violate international human rights standards. The appeal marks the latest in a series of international calls for clemency in high-profile cases involving foreign nationals in the Gulf state.