Long Ordeal Nears End As Abdu Rahim Set To Walk Free After 20 Years In Saudi Jail

After several postponed verdicts and nearly 20 years of imprisonment in a Saudi jail, Abu Rahim is set to walk free this December following a court ruling. The official date of release has been confirmed as December 2026.

Rahim, a native of Farook in Kozhikode district has been imprisoned since November 2006 in connection with the death of the son of his Saudi sponsor. Initially, he was sentenced to death; however, his fate changed in July 2024 when the victim’s family accepted a blood money payment of ₹34 crore, leading to the revocation of his death sentence.

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Rahim’s support committee said that they will consider further action after receiving the copy of the verdict.

Abdul Rahim had travelled to Saudi on November 28, 2006, at the age of 26 with a house driver visa. He was, however, later employed to look after Anas, the son of his sponsor, Fayiz Abdullah Al Shahri. Anas was partially paralysed below the neck and was dependent on a specialised device for food and water.

As per the Onmanorama report, one day when Abdul Rahim was driving the car with the boy, the device that supported the boy’s breathing accidentally fell inside the car, resulting in his untimely demise. The situation emerged as, at a traffic signal, the boy reportedly urged Abdul Rahim to move the car forward, ignoring the red light. When he refused to do this, the boy began beating him, and amid the altercation, Abdul Rahim unintentionally touched the medical device, causing it to fall down.

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Following the death of the Saudi boy, Rahim had faced multiple court rulings, with the death penalty being issued three times. Initially, though Anas’s family had insisted on capital punishment, later upon reaching an agreement, they agreed to pardon in exchange for blood money. The case, which is considered to be highly sensitive, was postponed 12 times.

Rahim has been supported by the Riyadh Raheem Support Committee throughout his imprisonment.