National Shoora Council appeals to Saudi King for clemency for Anojan

The National Shoora Council (NSC) of Sri Lanka has appealed to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to consider granting royal clemency to Sri Lankan citizen Sivarasa Anujan.

In a letter dated September 19, the NSC said Anujan had been convicted in a case concerning disrespect towards Prophet Muhammad and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment together with a fine of three million Saudi Riyals.

The council stressed that its appeal was made on humanitarian grounds and was not intended to question the judgment of the Saudi judicial authorities or the country’s legal process.

It said Anujan had expressed remorse over his conduct and had publicly apologised through social media, while also affirming his respect for the religious sentiments of Muslims.

The NSC also cited his personal and family circumstances, saying he was a modest-income Sri Lankan worker supporting a large family and had limited means to pay the financial penalty imposed on him.

According to the council, Anujan had also been preparing to marry later this year, and his present circumstances had caused hardship and uncertainty for both families.

The NSC said compassionate consideration of his case would bring relief to his family and would be received with gratitude by many Sri Lankans, while further strengthening longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. (Newswire)

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