Saudi Arabia Drops Death Sentence Charges Against Sri Lankan National

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath says the decision clears the way for Sivarasa Anojan’s return home within one to two weeks.

Saudi Arabia has discontinued all legal proceedings against Sri Lankan national Sivarasa Anojan, who was previously sentenced to death over a Facebook post, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has confirmed.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Prosecution decided on November 9, 2026, not to proceed with the case, bringing the remaining legal proceedings against Anojan to an end, the foreign minister said.

Anojan was sentenced to death by a Saudi appeals court in the Eastern Province on September 17, 2026, over allegations linked to a Facebook post that Saudi authorities considered offensive.

Following diplomatic and other interventions, the Saudi court overturned his death sentence on October 14. However, other penalties remained in place, prompting Sri Lankan authorities to continue diplomatic efforts to secure his complete release.

The latest decision by the Saudi Public Prosecution clears the way for Anojan’s return to Sri Lanka. Foreign Minister Herath said the government would take the necessary steps to bring him home, and he is expected to return within the next one to two weeks.

Meanwhile, Anojan’s family members visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday and expressed their gratitude to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Foreign Ministry, and all state institutions and officials involved in securing his release.

Minister Herath attributed the outcome to the guidance of President Dissanayake, diplomatic interventions by the Foreign Ministry and the efforts of other officials.

He also thanked the Saudi Arabian government, its judiciary, Saudi and Sri Lankan diplomatic officials, and the team of lawyers who travelled to Saudi Arabia to assist with the case.