Nasheed asked to assist in saving Sri Lankan man sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has been requested to assist in the rescue of Sri Lankan citizen of Tamil descent, Sivarasa Anojan, who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia.

According to Sri Lankan media reports, Nasheed made the commitment after two Sri Lankan lawyers, Faiza Mustafa and Upul Kumarapperuma, arrived in Maldives to discuss humanitarian assistance in Anojan’s case.

Newswire reported that Nasheed acknowledged that Anojan’s actions were unacceptable, but said he had decided to support efforts to save him on humanitarian grounds.

Anojan travelled to Saudi Arabia in September last year for work. He was arrested for posting insulting comments about a dog on Facebook. A Saudi court initially sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a fine of three million Saudi riyals under the Cybercrime Act.

However, prosecutors appealed the case under Islamic Sharia, and the appeals court later sentenced him to death.

The Sri Lankan government is now undertaking diplomatic and legal efforts to rescue him. A humanitarian appeal is expected to be made to Saudi officials with Nasheed’s assistance.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that Mustafa and Kumarapperuma had agreed to provide legal assistance in Saudi Arabia at their own expense. He said they will work with Saudi authorities and Anojan’s legal team.

A parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Speaker Rizvi Saleh is also scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia with a special letter of apology from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. However, opposition MP Mujeeb Rahman argued that the delegation should be led by the President, Prime Minister or Foreign Minister.

Minister Herath confirmed that the Sri Lankan government will cover all legal expenses incurred in the case, as Anojan is registered with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). He said the government will also reimburse the family for past expenses.

Herath added that he will meet the Saudi Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council meeting next month to request that Anojan’s sentence be commuted. There is now one month remaining to appeal to the Saudi Supreme Court.