Kochi: An 80-year-old woman has approached the Kerala High Court seeking its help for the release of her son jailed in Saudi Arabia.
In her petition, Claramma Simon, a native of Kottayam, said that her son Dominic Simon, an RTI activist, was arrested by the Saudi police and was being held in Al-Ha’ir Prison, south of Riyadh.
Dominic was arrested on the basis of a complaint that stated that he tarnished the image of the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia with his social media posts.
Claramma said that her son had only pointed out the shortcomings in the functioning of some staff at the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia. According to the petition, the embassy lodged the complaint against Dominic based on a misunderstanding.
She sought a court directive to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to take immediate action for the release of her son.
Dominic has lived in Saudi Arabia with his wife and three children for 15 years and is a well-known social activist, the petition said. He has won numerous awards for his work, including for helping Indians living abroad by making use of the Right to Information Act.
Claramma said that Dominic is being severely tortured in custody. She is concerned about the safety of her son, his wife and their three children, the petition said.
There is no one to help him and his family due to restrictions imposed over the COVID-19 pandemic, she revealed.
