Abdul Rehim to return home after prison release on Tuesday
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Farook: Abdul Rehim of Kodampuzha, who has been imprisoned in Riyadh in connection with the 2006 Saudi boy murder case, is set for imminent release. He will walk free from jail on Tuesday after completing his prison term, and efforts are underway to bring him back to his hometown within three days, according to representatives of the Abdul Rehim Legal Aid Committee and the Legal Aid Trust, who spoke at a joint press conference held at his residence.
Rehim’s legal team and family members explained that after the Ri¬yadh Criminal Court quashed his death sentence on July 2, 2024, the remaining legal formalities for his early release were swiftly settled. This has paved the way for his quick release once his jail term ends. If tickets are secured through the Indian embassy on the day of release, there will be no delay in his journey back to Kerala.
Officials from the Trust also noted that the Riyadh court will be on holiday for 15 days starting Thursday, in connection with the major festival (Eid al-Adha), and stressed that they are expecting an immediate release rather than a delay.
Rehim was arrested in November 2006 in the case of the killing of Saudi boy Anas Al Fayis. The prosecution contended that, while travelling in a car with the sponsor’s physically disabled son, Rehim’s hand struck a device attached to the boy’s neck, causing him to collapse and die. In 2012, the Riyadh court sentenced him to death in the murder case.
A decade later, local and overseas Malayali groups formed support committees in India and abroad to work for his release. The campaign gained historic momentum when contributions from the Malayali diaspora worldwide collected around ₹47 crore in just a few days. After ₹34 crore was paid as diyah (blood money) to the victim’s family, the court commuted Rehim’s death penalty.
At the press conference at Rehim’s house, committee members Ashraf Venganatt, K. Suresh, K. K. Alikkutti, Nasar Karanthoor, M. Moithinkoy, Majid Ambalakkandi, and K. P. Abdul Samad, along with Rehim’s brother Naseer Kodampuzha and other family members, shared details of the case and the relief felt at his approaching freedom.