Kozhikode native Abdul Rahim returns to Kerala after two decades in Saudi jail

Abdul Rahim, the Kozhikode native who spent 20 years in prison in Saudi Arabia, arrived at the Calicut International Airport on Thursday morning and will be received by his family at their home in Kodampuzha, Feroke.

Rahim had moved to Riyadh in 2006, but within weeks of his arrival, he was arrested in connection with the accidental death of Anas Al-Shahri, the paralysed 15-year-old son of his Saudi sponsor.

After arriving at the airport, an emotional Rahim thanked everyone for their support but quickly boarded a car without speaking to the media.

Speaking from the family home, Rahim’s brother told the media that he was grateful for his brother’s return on the special occasion of Eid al-Adha.

“It has been almost 20 years, and by God’s grace, his arrival coincided with Eid. So we are celebrating the combined joy of both occasions,” he said.

“It is because the public took up the matter that he is able to come back home. When we were overwhelmed by the huge amount of money demanded, it was the people who raised awareness and helped collect the crores we needed,” he added.

Employed as a driver, Rahim was accompanying his sponsor’s son during a journey when a medical feeding device attached to Anas’s neck was accidentally dislodged, leading to the teenager’s death. The incident resulted in Rahim’s immediate arrest, and years later, a Saudi court sentenced him to death.

His only hope for survival rested on securing ‘Diyat’- financial compensation paid to the victim’s family under Islamic law. In an extraordinary humanitarian campaign, Malayalis across the world came together to raise 15 million Saudi Riyals (nearly ₹34 crore), helping Rahim secure a pardon under Saudi law and paving the way for his release.