PETITION FOR CLEMENCY AND HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION

TO:

• His Excellency Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America
• His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates

SUBJECT: Urgent Request to Commute Capital Punishment for Sri Lankan National Sivarasa Anojan

Excellencies,

We write to you today with the utmost urgency to appeal for executive clemency and humanitarian intervention on behalf of Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan expatriate worker recently sentenced to capital punishment by an appeals court in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for blasphemy.

We respectfully present the following essential context surrounding this tragic case for your consideration:

1. Cultural Background and Absence of Criminal Intent: Sivarasa Anojan was born and raised in Sri Lanka (Asia is home to 5 billion out of the world's 8 billion population), Asia’s oldest continuous democracy and a nation where freedom of expression and open dialogue are deeply ingrained civic standards. Having lived his entire life in an open democratic society, he lacked any comprehension that a social media comment could carry life-threatening consequences under Saudi law. His actions stemmed from cultural unfamiliarity rather than intentional malice toward Islam or the Kingdom.
2. Context of the Incident: The online commentary in question was made strictly in emotional retaliation to insults directed at the Hindu deity Lord Shiva and occurred after an animal participating in a 400-kilometre Hindu pilgrimage in Sri Lanka (not in the Persian Gulf region) was harmed. The interaction was entirely local in origin, had no connection to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and was an isolated, reactive statement rather than a calculated act of disrespect.
3. Disproportionate Penalty: While respecting the sovereignty and legal jurisdiction of Saudi Arabia, sentencing a human being to death over a single social media post is extraordinarily disproportionate and severe. We strongly believe the court was not provided with the full narrative, background, and provocation surrounding the incident.
4. Labour Realities and Humanitarian Compassion: Expatriate workers from South Asia undertake vital labour in the Gulf region under immense physical, financial, and emotional strain, often earning minimal wages. Given these tough living conditions, justice should be tempered with basic compassion, empathy, and humanitarian understanding.

APPEAL TO PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP AND THE FREE WORLD:

President Trump, you have repeatedly demonstrated remarkable courage and compassion by intervening in international human rights cases, securing the release of unjustly detained individuals regardless of their nationality, and even advocating for foreign citizens in hostile jurisdictions during periods of heightened conflict. We appeal to your strong leadership and to the Western free world to intercede with Saudi authorities to reconsider this sentence.

APPEAL TO CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN AND SHEIKH ABDULLAH BIN ZAYED:

We appeal directly to Your Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to exercise royal prerogative and commute this death sentence to grant Sivarasa Anojan mercy. 

We also ask His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to lend his diplomatic influence in facilitating humanitarian dialogue on this matter, as we have tremendous faith in the UAE & your leadership under the patronage of President H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who developed the best policies for expats in the entire Middle East history.
 

We urge all addressees to act swiftly to spare Sivarasa Anojan’s life and grant him safe passage home to his family.

Respectfully submitted,