GOOD news for Indian workers, particularly those involved in labor disputes or detained in Saudi jails, as a group of social organizations under the Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (Fokasa) has announced the launch of legal aid services for destitute Indians. Fokasa is an umbrella organization of around 21 associations and 100 volunteers based in different parts of the Kingdom. The group has been engaged in offering humanitarian services to distressed Indian workers here, such as, paperwork with the Indian Embassy, mediation with employers, hospitalization of ailing workers, repatriation of corpses or injured workers, and offering relief supplies to abandoned workers. Fokasa (Riyadh-Chapter) made the announcement through a detailed presentation titled “Legal aid service for Indians working in Saudi Arabia” at a press conference held in Riyadh recently. The Fokasa officials are Fajrudheen Mooppan, general secretary; Latheef Thechy, joint-secretary; R. Muraleedharan, president; Mala Mohiyudheen, secretary; and Mohammed Bava, the convener of the legal aid service. Muraleedharan said Fokasa has consulted the Saudi Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and has received their wholehearted support. The SHRC agreed to extend legal assistance in certain well-studied cases. “It (SHRC) works in close cooperation with the Saudi Lawyers' Committee and has received free legal aid including lawyers' services,” he said. A prior feasibility study of the case can decide if legal aid services can be easily extended to needy Indians at a minimal cost in collaboration with local lawyers, translators, and social workers.According to Indian social workers who were associated with labor dispute cases in Saudi courts, very few Indian workers know about legal procedures and basic labor rights as stated by the Labor Ministry here. It was estimated that of the 1.5 million Indian workers living in Saudi Arabia, only a small percentage, say less than two in every 1,000 were found to be involved in activities inconsistent with the rules and regulations of the Kingdom. Around 75 percent of the Indians, who were detained in Saudi jails on petty charges, have no knowledge of Saudi legal procedures. Moreover, most of the recruited Indians were menial job workers and knew very little about Saudi laws. “However, timely intervention by a social organization or a person who knows legal procedures, as permitted by the Saudi law, can save the accused person(s) from prolonged confinement,” a Fokasa official said. “Unskilled Indian workers, most of whom are not well-educated, are not conversant with the local rules; providing legal aid to them in a foreign country will be of great humanitarian help,” he said. Explaining the nature of the legal service, he said workers will be guided in conduct or other legal proceedings in Saudi courts, including, general, criminal, commercial, labor, or personal status courts, or in tribunal courts. He said the legal services will be required at various stages for obtaining guidance, and for resolving disputes in courts, tribunals and other authorities. Indians, like most other expatriates, who live in Saudi Arabia are generally unaware of the customs, practices, laws, rules and regulations of the land. The Fokasa official said they would approach the Indian Embassy for financial assistance, in case the cost of the legal trial is not met. Fokasa will seek the services of translators (approved by Shariah courts for translating documents in Indian regional languages into Arabic and vice versa for court proceedings) on a monthly or on a contract basis. “The services of social workers who speak Arabic can also be utilized for this purpose,” he said. The Saudi legal system permits only Saudi lawyers to represent third parties. The official said a learned Saudi lawyer will be sought to represent those Indians who are detained or jailed for major criminal offenses. Moreover, Saudi lawyers are allowed to examine documents in courts, police stations, jails, investigation centers and in other government departments. Murleedharan can be contacted at: 0506066493, e
