SRINAGAR: Every morning, as the first light breaks over Srinagar, 65-year-old Manzoor-ul-Haq Baba wakes up with hope that today might bring news of his son’s return.
For four agonizing years, his son, Abdul Rafi Baba, has languished in a Saudi Arabian prison, accused of cyber-related offences allegedly linked to terrorism.
The accusations, which the Indian government has acknowledged, remain a painful mystery to his family, who insist he is innocent.
The 36-year-old engineer from Srinagar’s Soura neighbourhood moved to Saudi Arabia in 2018, like thousands of young Kashmiris seeking better opportunities in the Persian Gulf.
He secured a job as an accountant in Riyadh, and for a while, life seemed promising. But in 2020, everything changed. Abdul Rafi was arrested under what his father claims are "false and baseless allegations."
"We were never given a clear explanation of the charges against him," Manzoor told Kashmir Times, his voice heavy with emotion.
His son was reportedly taken from his workplace at King Faisal University in Hofuf on March 1, 2020. Since then, the family has lived in a state of helplessness, waiting for answers.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, an advocacy group for Kashmiri students and professionals abroad, recently took up the case and sought urgent intervention from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The response was startling.
According to a statement shared by the association’s National Convenor, Nasir Khuehami, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that Abdul Rafi Baba has been imprisoned in Dammam Intelligence Jail since March 1, 2022.
Sentenced to 11 years in jail
He was initially sentenced to 11 years for "cyber-related crimes linked to terror activities and circulating objectionable videos on social media."
However, after an appeal, the Saudi court increased his sentence to 31 years.
Despite multiple consular visits by Indian officials, Baba’s case remains stuck in Saudi Arabia’s legal system, with the matter currently pending in the Supreme Court there.
"The Indian government has granted consular access to my son several times, but I am still in the dark about the real nature of these allegations," Manzoor said, his hands trembling as he clutched a letter he wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, pleading for intervention.
While the Indian government has provided updates about Baba’s imprisonment, there have been no direct statements from External Affairs Minister Jaishankar himself. Recently, in Parliament, he spoke extensively about deportations from the U.S. and vowed to act against human traffickers, but he made no mention of Abdul Rafi Baba’s case.
"I am appealing to my government — both in Jammu and Kashmir and at the Centre — to take concrete steps to bring my son home," Manzoor said, his voice breaking.
"I just want to see him once before I die."
His family acknowledges that there may have been social media misuse but vehemently denies any links to terrorism. They believe Abdul Rafi has been unfairly implicated in a broader crackdown and is a victim of circumstances beyond his control.
Baba’s case is not an isolated one. Kashmiri families have long complained of young men being detained abroad under ambiguous circumstances. In 2022, The Quint reported the case of Javed Mir, another Kashmiri arrested in Saudi Arabia after sharing his WhatsApp number with an Iranian user on Facebook.
Vulnerability of Migrant Workers
Like Baba, Mir’s family has struggled to get answers, with their pleas largely ignored.
Despite India's strengthening diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, cases like Baba’s expose the vulnerability of Indian migrant workers who find themselves caught in foreign legal systems. While multi-billion-dollar trade deals are signed between the two countries, the families of those imprisoned feel abandoned.
"We have written to everyone, from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Home Minister, but we have received no response," Manzoor lamented.
The family’s hope is dimming. Financially drained, Manzoor cannot afford to travel to Saudi Arabia himself. His last contact with his son was a brief phone call years ago.
"He told me he was innocent, that the evidence against him was fabricated. But who will stand up for him?" Manzoor asked, wiping away tears.
As his grandchildren ask him when will their father return, the only answer Manzoor can give is silence.
"Unless the government steps in, my son will spend the rest of his life in prison for something he didn't do," he said. "All I ask is for justice."
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