By Fatima Muhammad
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Tarahum has contributed to get 10 prisoners released as part of a campaign that started this Ramadan. The campaign which is a collective cooperation between different parties aims at releasing 200 prisoners by the end of this month. The total amount to be collected is SR15 million. The campaign is organized under the theme “help me break my fast with my family.”
Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, general supervisor of the national committee for protecting prisoners, released individuals and their families (Tarahum) called on businessmen to support the campaign and help prisoners who are unable to pay private rights. “The target group is those unable to pay the private rights. They are being selected based on certain criteria such as being sick, staying for long in prison or are elderly people.”
Tarahum, he added, collaborates with the prison department around the year to identify the individuals who are prioritized and this «is a process that is done around the year and not only during Ramadan.”
He added that Tarahum succeeded in releasing 250 prisoners last year all of which were imprisoned because of private rights. Al-Ghamdi noted that there is a committee that follows up with prisoners after their release on monthly basis. He also elaborated that they are collaborating with different societies and establishments to implement the different activities and programs that encourage prisoners to work and have financial income following their release. Among these programs are the education, awareness and training programs that facilitate work for released individuals.
Ahmad Arif, a board member at Tarahum, speaking at the JCCI, said that they distinguish between those who have a public right and can only be released based on a royal decree and prisoners who are charged with private rights and can be released through efforts by Tarahum and its partners.
He added that they have a negotiation committee that is in charge of contacting the disputing party and asks for reducing the charge on prisoners by 40% to 60%. After that Tarahum pays the amount which it collects from donors in presence of two members of Tarahum. He added that they make field visits to families of prisoners and put forward an annual plan to support these families.
