Sri Lankan Youth Sentenced to 5 Years and Fined SAR 3 Million in Saudi Arabia Over Facebook Comment
A Sri Lankan youth working in Saudi Arabia has reportedly been sentenced to five years in prison and imposed a fine of 3 million Saudi Riyals (SAR) over a controversial comment published on social media.
The individual, identified as Sivarasa Anojan, a native of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, was employed in Saudi Arabia when he became involved in an online debate. During the discussion, Anojan allegedly left a comment on a Facebook post that was deemed derogatory toward Islamic religious beliefs and the Prophet Muhammad.
Realizing the gravity of his actions shortly after commenting, Anojan deleted the Facebook comment within 5 to 10 minutes. He subsequently issued a public apology to the Islamic community through both written posts and a live video statement on Facebook.
However, screenshots of the original comment had already circulated widely across social media platforms. Following the viral spread of the images, several individuals and organizations in Saudi Arabia lodged formal complaints with law enforcement authorities and his employer.
Anojan was subsequently arrested by Saudi police and prosecuted under the Kingdom’s strict Anti-Cybercrime Law and blasphemy regulations.
Reports indicate that following court proceedings, he was sentenced to a five-year prison term alongside a fine of 3 million Saudi Riyals.
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