Chennai: A Tamilian Hindu group has sought assistance from the Government of India after a Sri Lankan migrant worker was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia on blasphemy charges.
The Hindu Munnani has also sought intervention from the Sri Lankan deputy high commission at Nungambakkam in Chennai, to save 24-year-old Sivarasa Anojan.
An appellate court in Saudi Arabia increased Anojan’s sentence for an alleged Facebook comment that was deemed insulting to Islam and Prophet Muhammad, as reported by WION.
The Hindu Munnani submitted a petition at the Sri Lankan mission at Nungambakkam seeking revocation of the sentence, ANI reported.
“We are going to meet the Sri Lankan deputy high commissioner and submit a petition. An Islamist in Sri Lanka had posted derogatory content against Lord Shiva on social media. In response, Anojan, who is a Tamil-speaking Sri Lankan, questioned it and the exchange continued. He raised a question about the Prophet. Someone complained to the Saudi government in Arabic about Anojan’s post,” the Hindu group said in a statement.
Anojan had apologised but was imprisoned and fined, it said.
“Anojan also tendered a public apology. Despite that, he was sentenced to imprisonment with a fine of Rs 7 crore. Later, the higher court awarded death sentence and a fine of Rs 10 crore. The sentence should be stayed,” the Hindu Munnani said.
Anojan was sentenced on July 15 by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of three million Saudi Riyals, the maximum punishment available under the first paragraph of Article 6 of Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Cyber Crime Law. The five-year sentence was enhanced to a death sentence by the top court in Saudi Arabia about three days ago.
