A forgotten Nepali man in Saudi prison

A man from Dhankuta has been left stranded in a prison in Saudi Arabia for the past 13 years, unable to pay the penalty following a traffic accident. Dinesh Karki, 29, of Chaubise Rural Municipality, Dhankuta, had gone to Saudi Arabia five years ago. But after working for the company he was hired by for some time, he quit and found another job as a driver. Karki told ApEx over the phone from the Saudi prison that he was arrested after his involvement in a traffic accident.

“I had the driving permits and other papers with me. But the authorities detained me since I had left my previous company and working illegally.”

Karki had left his previous company after he did not get the promised salary and facilities there. The Saudi authorities have ordered Karki to pay 57,000 SAR (little over Rs 1.9m) in penalty. “I can’t afford to pay the fine,” said Karki over the phone. “I have been doing time for the past 13 months.” Karki was able to contact his home after he was recently transferred to a small prison facility. Before that, he was locked up in a large penitentiary, where phone calls were not easily available. After his prison transfer, Karki had contacted the Nepali Embassy, but his plea to intercede with the Saudi authorities for his release was ignored. “The embassy official I talked to told me that they come across many cases like mine and they cannot help me,” said Karki. “I was told to contact my family and social organizations.” Back in Karki’s village home, his father Ganesh Bahadur and mother Durga Kumari are worried sick about their youngest son. The couple’s two elder sons above Karki are also working overseas and they live alone. “He was out of contact for a whole year,” said Durga Kumari. “We found out just recently that he had been imprisoned.” Her husband suffers from illness that prevents him from walking. It is upon her to frequent the government agencies and social organizations to seek assistance for her son, who is locked up in a foreign land. “We cannot manage the money that is being demanded to release our son,” lamented Durga Kumari. “I pray the government to help us.” She recently submitted an application appealing for help at Dhankuta Municipality and the District Administration Office. Yubaraj Kattel, chief district officer of Dhankuta, said the government had started the process to free Karki from the Saudi prison. He also assured to contact the Embassy of Saudi Arabia to negotiate Karki’s release at the earliest.