Abdul Rahim
Abdul Rahim, a native of Kozhikode, has spent the past 18 years in a Saudi prison on charges of murdering a teenage boy.
Riyadh: The Riyadh Criminal Court in Saudi Arabia has once again postponed the final verdict in the case of Abdul Rahim, a native of Kodampuzha in Kozhikode district of Kerala. He has been imprisoned for the last 18 years for the alleged murder of a 15-year-old Saudi boy.
Citing incomplete procedures, the court on Thursday, February 13, adjourned the case, marking the eighth time its ruling has been deferred.
Rahim moved to Saudi Arabia in 2006 to work as a driver for Saudi national Abdulla Abdurahman Al Shahri and also cared for a boy with disabilities. One day, while driving with the boy, a device that assisted his breathing accidentally fell into the vehicle, causing the boy to lose consciousness and eventually die.
Although the incident was unintentional, Rahim was charged with murder and sentenced to death under Saudi law. Later, the court modified its ruling when the boy’s family agreed to accept blood money.
The Abdul Rahim Legal Assistance Committee raised 15 million Saudi riyals (approximately Rs 34 crore) through what is believed to be the largest crowdfunding effort in Kerala’s history.
On April 15, 2024, the committee informed the Saudi court that the compensation had been arranged. The funds were transferred on May 23, 2024, to an account established by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
On July 2, 2024, Rahim’s death sentence was commuted, yet he remains imprisoned pending trial on a public offence charge.
The initial hearing on Rahim’s release petition took place on October 21, 2024, but was rescheduled due to a change in the court bench. Since then, repeated delays have left his family uncertain about the outcome.
Source: Siasat.com
