SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir Students Association here on Sunday has written to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeking his intervention in the case of Abdul Rafi Baba, a Kashmiri networking engineer imprisoned in Saudi Arabia under unclear circumstances.
Baba, a resident of Soura, Srinagar, had been working at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, for nearly a decade before his sudden arrest on March 1, 2020. His family was never officially informed of the reason, leaving them in distress despite repeated efforts to seek answers.
The Association has urged the Chief Minister to take up the matter with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to ensure a fair investigation and Baba’s safe return. Chairman of Association Mushtaq Habeeb said that on February 2, 2025, they had written to the EAM, and on February 6, 2025, the ministry responded to our letter.
According to the MEA, Baba has been imprisoned in Dammam Intelligence Jail since March 1, 2022, on charges related to cybercrimes concerning terror activities and allegedly circulating objectionable videos. Initially sentenced to 11 years, his sentence was increased to 31 years following an appeal, and the case is now pending before the Saudi Supreme Court.
The Under Secretary from the External Affairs Minister’s office informed us that Consular access has been granted multiple times, with visits on May 3, 2021, September 6, 2022, February 20, 2023, September 5, 2023, and most recently, on September 11, 2024. Baba remains in contact with his family.
He said that his prolonged detention has severely impacted his family, especially his two young children and his ailing widower father, who has been desperately seeking justice. Despite multiple appeals to the Government of India and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, no response was received until February 6, 2025. His family also faces severe financial hardship, preventing them from arranging legal representation in Saudi Arabia.
The Association has urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to press the MEA for diplomatic efforts to ensure a fair trial and Baba’s repatriation. “Under the Chief Minister’s leadership, this matter can reach the highest levels for resolution,” said Habeeb.
Calling it a humanitarian issue, Habeeb emphasized that Baba’s prolonged separation from his family is distressing. They urged the Chief Minister to consider the case from a humanitarian standpoint and initiate high-level diplomatic engagement to secure his release and return home. (KDC)
