President, PM or FM should lead Saudi delegation to save Anojan: Mujibur

A Sri Lankan delegation led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya or, at minimum, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath should engage with Saudi Arabian authorities in an effort to save Sri Lankan national Anojan Sivarasa from the death sentence, Opposition MP Mujibur Rahman said today (23).

Addressing Parliament, MP Rahman said the matter was too serious to be handled by a delegation led by Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, as announced by the Government, and called for diplomatic engagement at the highest possible level.

He proposed that the Deputy Speaker be included in the delegation together with former ministers who are MPs in the Opposition who have experience dealing with the Saudi Arabian Government.

“This is not an issue that can be resolved at the level of the Deputy Speaker. This is a far more serious issue. It would be even better if the discussions are led at the Presidential level. If the President is unable to do so, the Prime Minister or, at the very least, the Foreign Minister must lead the delegation to save the life of this youth,” Rahman said.

The Opposition MP also questioned the handling of Sivarasa’s case by the Foreign Ministry and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), alleging that serious mistakes had been made in obtaining legal advice and appealing his initial sentence.

According to Rahman, Sivarasa was arrested on July 2 under Saudi Arabia’s cybercrime laws and sentenced on July 15 after pleading guilty. He said the initial sentence was five years’ imprisonment and a fine, with the proceedings concluding within approximately two weeks.

Rahman claimed that despite the case having concluded following Sivarasa’s guilty plea, an appeal was subsequently filed.

He alleged that the appeal was made following incorrect legal advice involving legal professionals connected to the Foreign Ministry and a law firm in Saudi Arabia.

According to Rahman, the Saudi Attorney General’s Office subsequently challenged the appeal, following which a judgment imposing the death sentence was issued under Saudi law.

The MP argued that instead of appealing the initial court ruling, the Sri Lankan Government should have pursued the matter diplomatically with the King of Saudi Arabia after Sivarasa received the original prison sentence.

“They should not have appealed this in court. After the initial sentence, the Government should have taken the matter directly to the King of Saudi Arabia. We do not know on whose advice they appealed after the youth had accepted the charges and pleaded guilty. This is the mistake that has been made,” he said.

Rahman also alleged that Rs. 1.8 million had been obtained from Sivarasa’s parents for expenses related to the case and questioned why funds available through the SLBFE or insurance arrangements could not have been utilised. He noted that the Government had since indicated that the money would be reimbursed.

Drawing comparisons with previous cases, Rahman said three Sri Lankan women had faced death sentences in Saudi Arabia during the Yahapalana Government and claimed that swift intervention by the Foreign Ministry had resulted in the sentences being suspended.

He said that although the women had served prison terms before returning to Sri Lanka, they ultimately did not face execution.

Rahman called on the Foreign Minister to table in Parliament the judgment relating to Sivarasa’s death sentence, saying it would allow MPs to establish the sequence of events surrounding the appeal and subsequent legal action.

The Opposition MP reiterated that the Government should make use of politicians with previous experience dealing with Saudi Arabian authorities and pursue the issue through high-level diplomatic channels in an effort to save Sivarasa’s life. (Newswire)

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