Saudi- Freedom comes to Indian convict too late 

(MENAFN - Arab News) The 16 years Sulaiman Kutty lived in the Kingdom, he spent in a prison.

After years of attempting to gain his freedom following a drug trafficking conviction, he lost all hope to see his native Kerala state in India. He slipped into mental illness and prepared himself to die in prison.
But Saudi authorities, recognizing his condition, awarded him a compassionate release from the Dammam prison.

Yet, just moments from complete freedom as he prepared to board a flight late last night for India, it all fell apart. Kutty was returned to his prison cell, his future uncertain.

According to Sulaiman Kutty's brother, Mohammed, Sulaiman became violent in the queue when Mohammed greeted him at the airport. Sulaiman attacked his brother and became violent with passengers in the queue waiting to board the flight.

Airport and airline officials, fearing that he could become violent while in flight and become a danger to his fellow passengers, demanded that Sulaiman be returned to the Dammam prison.

Kutty came to Saudi Arabia in 1997 for work, just like thousands of his fellow countrymen. Before he left his country someone had asked him to hand over a small package, containing important medicine. He was to hand this over to a sick person in Saudi Arabia. In those days it was a routine custom in India to bring packages for fellow Indians, Kutty believed.

This kind gesture made for a disastrous turning point in his life. On arrival in the Kingdom, it was found the parcel contained deadly narcotics. Kutty, then 19 years old, was detained by Saudi customs authorities for carrying drugs and later convicted and sentenced to prison for a 15-year term and a fine of SR 100,000.

A shocked Kutty, now 36, heard about the death penalty for drug traffickers. He was certain his days were numbered and became a psychiatric patient two years later in 1999.

Other inmates who spent a long time in prison are in good health. Some were able to memorize the Holy Qur'an, earning remission of their sentences. However, two other Indian convicts in a drug trafficking case - Shaikh Mastan and Hamza - received the death penalty and were executed.
The case of psychiatric patient Sulaiman Kutty drew the attention of the authorities. His name was included in a general amnesty vy King Fahd in 2005. His amnesty covered a 50 percent waiver for the penalty amount. In Kutty's case, his penalty was reduced to SR 50,000.

"The sentenced term of 15 years was completed two years ago, but Kutty was held in prison because he could not pay the penalty," said his elder brother Mohammed Kutty. "Our family had approached the authorities and the Saudi Human Rights Commission in the past to appeal for a release."

A judge who examined the case of Sulaiman Kutty touched upon his condition when Sulaiman remained silent whenever the judge asked any questions about his ability to pay the penalty.

"The language barrier might have posed a problem, so the judge summoned an interpreter for assistance," Mohammed Kutty said. "(My brother) slapped the interpreter, as a further indication of his mental condition."

The Ministry of Finance is the official entity to receive the penalty imposed upon Sulaiman Kutty. Ministry officials visited the court and after seeing the state the Indian prisoner was in agreed to waive the remaining half penalty under the amnesty scheme of King Abdullah.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh issued an emergency travel document and an Indian businessman provided an Air India Express ticket to Sulaiman Kutty. He was to leave for Calicut, accompanied by his brother Mohammed Kutty.
Sources close to the case said that Sulaiman Kutty was merely 19 years old, but carried a passport with a different age that enabled him to travel abroad. Although his passport says he is 45 years old, Kutty is really 36.