The office of Union External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has responded to the petition of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) for the urgent repatriation of 36-year-old Abdul Rafi Baba, the Kashmiri engineer currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. The development comes after nationwide appeals for Baba’s release and fair trial.
The External Affairs Minister’s (EAM) office has initiated formal dialogues with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to address the situation of Rafi Baba, a native of Srinagar’s Soura city according to a statement from JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami. “The External Affairs Minister’s office has informed us that our Embassy in Riyadh has conveyed details regarding Abdul Rafi Baba”, Khuehami stated.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has maintained its commitment to provide continuous Diplomatic Consular help to Baba. The Indian government sent consular officers to visit the prison multiple times on May 3, 2021, September 6, 2022, February 20, 2023, September 5, 2023, and again on September 11, 2024.
Baba ensured the officials that he stayed connected with his Kashmiri family through weekly phone calls. The officials declared Baba’s good condition and confirmed he received all his basic needs without any problems.
Kashmiri local media reports suggest that Under Secretary Bibhuti Nath Pandey from the External Affairs Ministry briefed JKSA on the ongoing judicial proceedings of Baba’s case. The sole earner of his family, Baba was initially granted a prison term of 11 years. However, The Saudi appellate court sentenced him to 31 years.
The Saudi Supreme Court is currently reviewing the case and a final decision remains pending.
The association continues to push for the matter’s resolution by calling on Jaishankar to initiate direct talks with Saudi authorities to expedite the process.
Speaking to the media, Baba’s father Manzoor ul Haq Baba has expressed distress stating, “My only one wish is to see my son’s freedom before my life ends”. The long ordeal endured by Baba’s family has reached its critical juncture. They continued demanding immediate diplomatic intervention to bring Baba back home.
The incident dates back to March 1, 2020, when Abdul Rafi Baba was detained by Saudi police at his workplace at King Faisal University in Hofuf, a city in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahsa region.
Baba has been imprisoned at Dammam Intelligence Jail on accusations of cybercrime activities including terror activities and distribution of objectionable social media content.
The Kashmiri engineer travelled to Saudi Arabia 10 years ago to pursue better job prospects. He had been the pillar of his family’s financial stability. Since his imprisonment, his family has made nonstop visits to every organization.
