For six-year-old Hafsah and her four-year-old brother Mohammad Anwar, waiting for their father’s return has become a daily ritual. Their father, Abdul Rafi Baba, a 36-year-old networking engineer from Srinagar’s Soura area, has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for the past four years. He was arrested in early 2020 while working at King Faisal University in Hofuf. The family learned of his arrest on March 1, 2020, and has been seeking answers ever since.
Rafi’s father, Manzoor ul Haq Baba, described his son as a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record in Kashmir. Despite his clean record, Rafi remains behind bars with no clear charges against him. Manzoor believes his son was framed due to issues at his workplace in Saudi Arabia.
Manzoor, now elderly and a widower, has tried to contact authorities but received no responses. He has written letters to India’s Home Minister and External Affairs Minister, seeking assistance, but to no avail. “We are financially broken. We don’t have the means to fight his case in Saudi Arabia,” Manzoor said.
Latest Update on Abdul Rafi Baba (as of March 2026)
There have been no new public developments or breakthroughs reported since February 2025. Abdul Rafi Baba, the 36-year-old Kashmiri networking engineer from Soura, Srinagar, remains imprisoned in Dammam Intelligence Jail, Saudi Arabia.
Current Status
- Arrest: March 1, 2020 (detained at his workplace at King Faisal University in Hofuf/Al-Ahsa region).
- Charges: Cyber-related crimes linked to terror activities, specifically for allegedly circulating objectionable videos on social media (as confirmed by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to the family and Jammu & Kashmir Students Association – JKSA).
- Sentencing: Initially sentenced to around 9–11 years. After appeals (filed by both Baba and the Saudi Public Prosecution), an appeal court increased the sentence to 31 years.
- Current Stage: The case is pending before the Saudi Supreme Court. No final verdict has been publicly announced.
He has been held for over six years now (as of March 2026). The family continues to assert that the charges are false and possibly linked to workplace disputes, with no prior criminal record in India.
Diplomatic and Legal Efforts (Last Major Updates – February 2025)
- The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has provided consular access multiple times, with the most recent confirmed visit on September 11, 2024. During these visits, Baba reportedly stated he was in good health, in touch with his family, and had no major complaints about basic conditions.
- JKSA wrote to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, urging diplomatic intervention for a fair trial, release, and repatriation. The MEA responded, confirming the details of the case and sentencing.
- In February 2025, the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court admitted a writ petition (WP(C): 303/2025) filed by Baba’s wife (Mariyam Ali) and father (Manzoor-ul-Haq Baba). The court directed the government to submit a status report. The next hearing was scheduled for March 4, 2025, but no further public outcomes have been reported since then.
Family’s Situation
Baba’s ailing father, Manzoor-ul-Haq Baba, has made emotional public appeals, requesting intervention so he can see his son before his health deteriorates further. The family includes two young children (daughter Hafsah and son Mohammad Anwar) who have grown up largely without their father. They face ongoing financial and emotional hardship and have had very limited direct contact with him.
Context
Local Kashmir-based media (Kashmir Times, Greater Kashmir, Siasat, ETV Bharat, etc.) and student groups like JKSA have actively highlighted the case through appeals and coverage in early 2025. The matter involves sensitive consular, legal, and diplomatic aspects between India and Saudi Arabia, with outcomes depending on Saudi judicial proceedings and any potential high-level interventions.
As of now (March 2026), Abdul Rafi Baba continues to languish in jail with his case unresolved at the Supreme Court level. No reports of release, sentence reduction, or major new diplomatic breakthroughs have surfaced in recent months.
If new information emerges or if you have additional details/context (e.g., specific sources or aspects to check), I can look for further updates. Families in such cases often rely on sustained diplomatic engagement through the MEA and Indian Embassy.
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