JIZAN, 9 December 2007 — A father has refused to take custody of the body of his son, who died in a prison mosque last Tuesday while serving time for a Qat-related offense, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported yesterday.
Ahmed Al-Sufiani said he would only take custody of the body of his son, Ali Ahmed Ali, once the cause of his death was independently ascertained. Ali’s body currently lies unclaimed at Jizan General Hospital.
“My son left home seven months ago searching for a job. I lost contact with him and looked for him everywhere but couldn’t find him. I thought he had found a job and settled down somewhere. Last week we were notified that he had died at Jizan Jail,” said Al-Sufiani.
“I went to the morgue and formally identified the body. However, I refused to take it. My son looked like he went through a lot of suffering. He became thin. I want to know how he died and the circumstances surrounding his arrest, conviction and sentencing,” he said, adding that Ali was of good character and never used drugs.
Maj. Maadi Al-Bugmi, head of Jizan Jail, said, “Last Tuesday, the prisoner went to the mosque along with other prisoners to pray and read the Qur’an. He fell unconscious and was taken to the prison’s hospital. Doctors say he died of a heart attack.”
