President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced that his government will formally appeal to the King of Saudi Arabia seeking clemency for Sri Lankan national Anojan Sivarasa, who is currently facing the death penalty in the kingdom.
A Diplomatic Appeal at the Highest Level
The President confirmed that Sri Lanka will pursue a formal written diplomatic request addressed directly to the Saudi monarch, in a bid to secure a pardon for Sivarasa. The move signals the government's willingness to engage at the highest levels of diplomacy to protect the lives of Sri Lankan citizens abroad.
Anojan Sivarasa is among the Sri Lankan migrant workers who have found themselves on death row in Saudi Arabia, a situation that has drawn significant concern from rights advocates and the Sri Lankan public alike.
Government Steps In
The decision by President Dissanayake to personally champion the cause reflects growing pressure on the Sri Lankan government to do more for its citizens facing capital punishment in foreign countries. A formal letter to the Saudi King represents one of the most direct diplomatic interventions available to the government under such circumstances.
Sri Lanka has a large migrant worker community in Saudi Arabia, and cases involving Sri Lankans on death row in the Middle East have periodically tested the country's diplomatic relations and consular capabilities.
What Comes Next
Authorities are expected to coordinate through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to draft and submit the official appeal. The outcome will depend largely on the Saudi royal court's response to the humanitarian request.
The government has urged the family of Anojan Sivarasa and the wider public to remain patient as diplomatic channels are pursued. Officials have not disclosed a specific timeline for when the formal appeal will be submitted.
This development will be closely watched by Sri Lankan migrant communities and human rights organisations, who have long called for stronger government intervention in cases where Sri Lankan nationals face the death penalty overseas.
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Hope the king listens. This family must be suffering so much.
Saudi law is strict no. Dont know if a letter will be enough.
Good. At least goverment doing something for our ppl abroad.
Doing something? This took how long? Boy could be dead by now.