Sri Lankan Migrant Worker Sentenced to Death in Saudi Arabia Over Facebook Comment

A 24-year-old Sri Lankan migrant worker, Anojan Sivarasa, has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia because of a Facebook comment. He was found guilty of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad after an argument over a video of a dog. Anojan's parents met with Sri Lanka's president. Religious leaders from multiple faiths in Sri Lanka have joined together to urge the government to take action to secure his release. A legal delegation from Sri Lanka is traveling to Saudi Arabia this week to meet with Anojan's Saudi defense lawyers. However, his family fears it may be too late, saying they have lost contact with him. "My brother hasn't called for two days," Hamsidan told the BBC on September 28. "We informed the embassy and asked officials to look into the matter and update us. They said they would check. We are still waiting, as we have not yet received a response." His mother, Rasamanickam Yogalakshmi, said in a tearful plea: "I plead for mercy for the wrongs committed by my son. Please forgive him and send him back to us." Saudi authorities have not said when the execution is expected to take place. The country has a history of only telling families or foreign embassies after executions have been carried out.