Saudi Arabia Sentences Sri Lankan Man to Death for Blasphemy; insulting Muhammad on Facebook - BBC News

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Source link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq14d438vx24o
Published by: BBC NEWS on 5 Oct 2026
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Anojan Sivarasa's family have not heard from him for more than a week "I plead for mercy for the wrongs committed by my son. Please forgive him and send him back to us." Speaking through tears, Rasamanickam Yogalakshmi made a desperate plea for the life of her eldest son, Anojan Sivarasa. The

24-year-old migrant worker is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia after an appellate court found him guilty of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad over a comment he made on Facebook.

The case has sent shockwaves through Sri Lanka, sparking widespread concern and civil society petitions across the country. Multiple political parties and government bodies have co-ordinated diplomatic efforts seeking clemency.

However, the family has had no updates on his condition since 28 September. The Sri Lankan government has instructed the family to refrain from making further statements while diplomatic efforts take place.

Saudi authorities have not published an official execution [...]

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What is Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a country in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. With a land area of approximately 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), Saudi Arabia is geographically the largest sovereign state in the Middle East, the 2nd largest in the Arab world (after Algeria), the 5th largest in Asia, and the 12th largest in the world. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south; most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland and mountains. As of October 2018, the Saudi economy was the largest in the Middle East and the 18th largest in the world. Saudi Arabia also enjoys one of the world's youngest populations; 50% of its 33.4 million people are under 25 years old.
What is Blasphemy?
Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence to a deity, or sacred things. Some religions consider blasphemy to be a religious crime. As of 2012, anti-blasphemy laws existed in 32 countries, while 87 nations had hate speech laws that covered defamation of religion and public expression of hate against a religious group. Anti-blasphemy laws are particularly common in Muslim-majority nations, such as those in the Middle East and North Africa, although they are also present in some Asian and European countries.
Who are the BBC News?
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters are at Broadcasting House in Westminster, London and it is the world's oldest national broadcasting organisation and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees. It employs over 20,950 staff in total.
Who are Facebook?
Facebook, Inc. is an American online social media and social networking service company based in Menlo Park, California. It was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, along with fellow Harvard College students. It is considered one of the Big Four technology companies along with Amazon, Apple, and Google. Facebook held its initial public offering (IPO) in February 2012, valuing the company at $104 billion, the largest valuation to date for a newly listed public company. Facebook claimed it had more than 2.3 billion monthly active users as of December 2018. However, it faces a big problem of fake accounts. It caught 3 billion fake accounts, but the ones it misses are the real problem. Facebook is one of the world's most valuable companies.

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