Kashmiri Engineer sentenced to 31 years in Saudi Jail on cyber crime charges

Srinagar, Feb 6: Kashmiri engineer Abdul Rafi Baba, who was arrested in Saudi Arabia two years ago, has been sentenced to 31 years in prison on charges of “cyber-related crimes linked to terror activities” and for “circulating objectionable videos on social media.”
Baba, a resident of Srinagar’s Soura area, was working at King Faisal University in the Hofuf region when he was arrested in early March 2022.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association stated that India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has responded to their appeal for intervention in Baba’s case. According to the association, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that Baba, holding Passport No. S7725981, has been imprisoned in Dammam Intelligence Jail since March 1, 2022.
Initially, Baba was sentenced to 11 years in prison. However, following an appeal filed both by him and the Public Prosecution, the court increased the sentence to 31 years under relevant Saudi laws. His case is currently under review by the Supreme Court.
The association’s spokesperson stated that consular access was provided to Baba on multiple occasions, including May 3, 2021, September 6, 2022, February 20, 2023, September 5, 2023, and September 11, 2024. [KNT]