සෞදියේ රැකියා කරන්න ගිහිං FB එකේ නබිතුමාට අපහාස කළ අනෝජන් සිවරාස මරණයෙන් ගළවා දෙන්නලු

Protests and petition signing campaigns have commenced in several parts of the island, urging intervention to secure the release of Anojan Sivarasa, a young Sri Lankan man sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. A public protest was held at Malliyappu Junction in Hatton town, and a public signature collection campaign was organized in Natpidimunai, Ampara, his hometown.

The organizers have arranged to submit this petition, which urges the government to immediately take the necessary diplomatic steps to secure the young man's release, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has been accused of making derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Muhammad via social media while working in Saudi Arabia. His family members confirm that these statements were made during an online discussion among various religious groups in Sri Lanka.

Following the trial related to this incident, on July 15, a Saudi court sentenced him to five years in prison and a fine of three million Saudi Riyals. Subsequently, with the support of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an appeal was filed through a lawyer to mitigate the sentence. However, as a result, the family later learned that the punishment had been escalated to the death penalty.

Meanwhile, several opposition Members of Parliament and former MPs have urged the government to immediately intervene to save the young man's life. The government has announced that the necessary diplomatic and legal steps are already being taken to secure the young man's release in light of this sensitive foreign legal situation.