Death of Saudi citizen: Kozhikode native Abdul Rahim serving sentence may see reduced term

Riyadh: The case file of Kozhikode native Abdul Rahim, who has been awaiting release, has been moved forward from the Governorate to various concerned departments, according to sources. Representatives of Riyadh’s Abdul Rahim Legal Support Committee have informed that the communication regarding the file movement has been intimated to Rahim's counsel, the Indian Embassy, and Power of Attorney holder Siddique Tuvvur.

The development suggests the Governorate has completed its part of the procedure and forwarded the file to other departments for the next steps in the review process.

Having already served over 19 years of his 20-year sentence, efforts are underway to secure a reduction of the remaining term and obtain a pardon. His lawyers, the Indian Embassy, and the Legal Support Committee have been consistently working towards this goal.

Given that Abdul Rahim has paid the diya (blood money) and has already served a long period in jail, his lawyers, Adv. Rena and Osama Amber, on behalf of the Legal Support Committee, had earlier submitted a request to the Riyadh Governorate seeking leniency and sentence reduction.

According to the court’s ruling, Abdul Rahim's 20-year sentence is scheduled to be fully completed on 20 May 2026.

Background of the case

Abdul Rahim was previously sentenced to death in connection with the death of a Saudi citizen. However, after the payment of diya, the victim’s family pardoned him, leading to the cancellation of the death sentence. Despite the pardon, he was found guilty under public-rights law and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Riyadh Court of Appeal, a verdict later upheld by the Supreme Court.

With the file now moving through additional departments, the Legal Support Committee remains hopeful that the authorities will consider clemency, especially in light of the diya payment and Abdul Rahim's prolonged imprisonment.