Kozhikode: The Riyadh Criminal Court has once again postponed the hearing of the release petition for Abdul Rahim, a native of Kozhikode, who has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for the past 18 years.
Activists from the Legal Aid Committee stated that the postponement was due to technical issues and that no cases were considered during today’s session.
This marks the fourth time the court has deferred the case after reviewing the release petition under the Public Rights Act, following the withdrawal of the death penalty. Rahim's family and the Legal Aid Committee had hoped the final verdict would be delivered today. His release was made possible after the family of a Saudi boy who died, agreed to pardon him in exchange for compensation.
On July 2, the court annulled the death sentence with the family’s consent after they paid the required money of Rs 34 crore. Since then, the court has convened three times to deliberate on the release petition, but each session has been postponed. The procedures under the Public Rights Act are currently ongoing, with the public prosecution and Rahim’s lawyer presenting their arguments before the court once again.
Rahim’s lawyer emphasised that Rahim has already served 18 years in prison. Even with a favorable verdict, Rahim will still need to wait for formalities to be completed for his release and return to India.
First, the court must forward a copy of the release order to the governorate and the prison. Following that, the passport department under the Ministry of Home Affairs will complete the final exit procedures. Once finalised, the Indian Embassy will issue Rahim’s travel documents, allowing him to be released from prison and return home to India.
The incident that led to Abdul Rahim’s imprisonment occurred on December 24, 2006. Rahim was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for the unintentional killing of a 15-year-old Saudi national. Rahim, who had arrived in Saudi Arabia on a driver’s visa, was employed as a caretaker for his sponsor’s son, Fayez, who was partially paralysed.
Fayez was given food and water through a special device attached to his neck. Rahim was also responsible for taking the child out from time to time. While being transported in a car, Abdul Rahim's hand accidentally got caught in the device attached to the child's neck. Fayez, who was unconscious, later died.
Following the incident, Rahim was arrested on charges of murder, and the Riyadh court sentenced him to death. The appeal courts upheld the death penalty. During this period, multiple attempts were made to reach out to Fayez’s family, but they initially refused to forgive Rahim. Eventually, the family agreed to a pardon in exchange for a mercy payment of Rs 34 crore. As a result, the execution order for Rahim was annulled.
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