Sri Lankan man jailed for 5 years for insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad

A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a Sri Lankan youth to 5 years in prison for posting a Facebook post that insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

In addition to the prison sentence, the youth, identified as Sivarasa Anojan, a resident of Natpittimunei, Kalmunai, has also been fined 3 million Saudi Riyals.

 Anojan's parents have written to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, requesting his intervention to commute his sentence and bring him back to Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Embassy has informed that the legal costs required to appeal against the verdict given by the Saudi court are approximately 25,000 Saudi Riyals, and that all legal costs must be borne by the defendant.

His parents say that they are living in severe financial difficulties and cannot afford to pay the fine imposed by the court or the legal fees for the appeal.

Accordingly, they are requesting the UN and the authorities to intervene on humanitarian grounds to commute his sentence and provide financial assistance for his legal proceedings.