A 24-year-old Sri Lankan national working in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to death over a comment he made on Facebook. Anojan Sivarasa was convicted of blasphemy after becoming involved in a Facebook dispute over footage showing a dog being kicked.
Background to the case
The video, which circulated widely online in June, showed a young Muslim man kicking a dog which had been following Hindu pilgrims in Sri Lanka. Sivarasa's comment on the footage led to his arrest and subsequent conviction.
Family's appeal for mercy
His family have reportedly made desperate pleas for mercy, though no further details of their appeals have been released. The sentencing has drawn attention to the case of the young man, who is now set to be killed.
