The case has rattled Sri Lanka, with diplomatic efforts underway to save him.
The issue is linked to a Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka and a viral video from June showing a Muslim man kicking a dog following the pilgrims, according to a BBC report. After a user insulted a Hindu deity, Anojan posted a response in Tamil, insulting Prophet Muhammad, the publication further said. However, the case took an unexpected turn last month after prosecutors sought Anojan to be tried under Sharia law, a request the appellate court approved, paving the way for a death sentence.
The Sri Lankan government earlier said it was closely following Anojan’s case. In September, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met Anojan’s parents at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo and said he would personally seek clemency from the Saudi ruler.
Tamil Progressive Alliance leader Mano Ganesan had urged Dissanayake to seek Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the case, citing Modi’s ties with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a PTI report from September. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa also met Sivarasa’s family.
