'The Real Kerala Story': Locals unite to crowdfund ₹34 crore for man facing death penalty in Saudi Arabia

livemint.com:

Kerala to channel their compassion and rally together to raise an astounding ₹34 crore to save a man from the state from the gallows in Saudi Arabia. In a display of solidarity, people in Kerala have come together to save Abdul Rahim, who hails from Kozhikode, whose only chance to live is to pay the blood money of 15 million Saudi Riyals which comes to around ₹34 crore, before April 18, 2024. Until five days ago, the action committee, formed to work for the release of Rahim, could raise only a meagre amount but as the deadline neared, the campaign was intensified and help poured in from Kerala people from across the world, the action committee formed to help Rahim, said on Friday.

Rahim has spent 18 years behind bars in the Gulf nation for allegedly killing a Saudi boy in 2006. Local people said Rahim was jailed in 2006 after he accidentally caused the death of a specially-abled boy whom he was taking care of. He was sentenced to death in 2018 after the family of the Saudi boy refused to grant amnesty.

The action committee members told the media that the appeals were rejected by the top courts but later the family agreed to pardon Rahim if he pays 'blood money.' Praising the spirit of Kerala people, Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, said it was the "Real Kerala Story" of compassion and truth. He said in the face of relentless hate campaigns targeting Kerala, "the indomitable spirit of Malayalis shines through", upholding together the state's resilience and compassion. "Abdul Rahim's story, a Kerala man facing execution in Saudi Arabia, symbolises this resistance.