Abdul Rahim, a man from Kozhikode who spent nearly two decades in a Saudi prison, is set to return home after his death sentence was commuted through a large crowdfunding campaign.
Abdul Rahim was arrested in Saudi Arabia in December 2006, just weeks after arriving for work as a driver. He was later sentenced to death in connection with the death of a teenager under his care. Higher courts upheld the sentence, leaving his family in uncertainty for years.
In 2024 the victim’s family agreed to pardon Rahim in return for Rs 34 crore in blood money. The sum was raised through a widespread crowdfunding drive involving Malayalis worldwide. With the compensation accepted, the death sentence was set aside.
Saudi authorities required Rahim to complete a 20-year term, which ended on May 20 this year under the Arabic calendar. Indian embassy officials and campaign organisers are now completing final formalities for his release. His brother Nazir said the family is waiting eagerly after years of hardship.
