Kashmiri Man Detained in Saudi Arabia, Family Seeks Urgent Help
Srinagar, Jan 31: An elderly father in Srinagar is desperately seeking justice for his son, Abdul Rafi Baba, who has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for over four years under what the family claims are false charges. Despite repeated appeals to the Ministry of External Affairs, no response has been received, leaving the family in distress.
Abdul Rafi Baba, son of Manzoor-ul-Haq Baba, a resident of Soura, Srinagar, according to the family, left for Saudi Arabia ten years ago in search of a livelihood. He was employed at King Faisal University, Hafoof Al Hasa, and was living a peaceful life without any criminal history in India, his family asserts.
“On March 1, 2020, Abdul Rafi was arrested by Saudi authorities from his workplace,” his father told Greater Kashmir, adding that the family was initially unaware of the reasons behind his detention. “His colleagues informed us that his arrest was linked to internal disputes within his company and that he had been falsely implicated.”
“I am an ailing old man, and my wife has passed away. I have no means to fight for my son’s release. His wife and children are suffering terribly. We have written to the Union Home Minister and the External Affairs Minister, but we have not received any response,” said Manzoor-ul-Haq Baba, the incarcerated Rafi’s distressed father.
According to the family, Abdul Rafi was able to make a brief call to them, during which he claimed he was falsely framed in baseless cases. He lamented that, without legal representation, his case has not been adequately pursued in the Saudi courts.
The family has urged the Union Home Minister and External Affairs Ministry to intervene and secure Abdul Rafi’s release. “We are financially weak and unable to take legal action in Saudi Arabia. Before my death, I just want to see my son free,” Baba pleaded. (GK)
