17 non-governmental organizations have expressed deep concern regarding the case of activist Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi, who is detained in Bulgaria and faces the risk of deportation to Saudi Arabia. In a statement shared by the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, the organizations pointed out that if deported, Al-Khalidi would face a real danger of torture and other serious human rights violations due to his political opinions and activities in Saudi Arabia. The statement urged the Bulgarian authorities to respect their legal obligations under international law, the European Union, and domestic law by immediately halting the deportation of Al-Khalidi, releasing him from detention, and reconsidering his request for international protection through asylum.
The statement indicated that on February 7, 2024, Al-Khalidi, who has been seeking asylum in Bulgaria for over two years, was notified of a deportation order against him. His lawyers filed an appeal against the decision. At the same time, Al-Khalidi is being held in administrative detention at the Busmantsi Detention Center near Sofia International Airport, despite a Bulgarian judicial order for his release on January 18, 2024. This order was subsequently overridden by the Bulgarian National Security Agency, which ordered his re-arrest. During his detention, Al-Khalidi has been subjected to medical neglect.
The organizations explained that Al-Khalidi left Saudi Arabia in 2013 after receiving numerous threats, including being summoned for questioning by security officials, due to his peaceful activities. His activities included advocating for democratic reforms and campaigns with prominent Saudi figures such as journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In 2021, Al-Khalidi decided to move to the European Union to apply for asylum in an EU member state. Shortly after crossing the Turkish-Bulgarian border on October 23, 2021, he was arrested in Bulgaria for irregular entry.
On November 16, 2021, Al-Khalidi applied for asylum in Bulgaria, citing risks of serious human rights violations if he were to return to Saudi Arabia, including arbitrary detention, torture, and unfair trial. His asylum application was rejected by the Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees, which did not recognize the risk of persecution, considering that Saudi Arabia had "taken measures to democratize society." Al-Khalidi contested the decision before the Administrative Court, and when his appeal was also rejected, he appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court, which referred the case back to the lower court for retrial, citing procedural errors. On January 9, 2024, the court issued a ruling overturning the previous asylum rejection and referred his application back to the Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees for reconsideration.
The statement emphasized that the deportation of Al-Khalidi to Saudi Arabia would constitute a serious violation of Bulgaria's obligations under international law, European Union laws, and domestic legislation, including its own constitution, which stipulates that Bulgaria must grant asylum to foreigners persecuted for their opinions and activities in defense of internationally recognized rights and freedoms.
The statement further clarified that the UN Special Rapporteur, Mary Lawlor, commented on the danger of deporting Al-Khalidi, noting that it "would be inconsistent with Bulgaria's commitment to non-refoulement – especially as Saudi Arabia is a dangerous place for human rights defenders."
The organizations pointed out that the principle of non-refoulement is a fundamental element of international human rights law and refugee law, protected in numerous treaties and international agreements, including the Geneva Refugee Convention and its Protocol (Article 33), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 7), and the United Nations Convention against Torture (Article 3).
The statement considered that amid increasing repression in Saudi Arabia, including crackdowns on freedom of expression and association, the number of citizens and residents leaving the country and seeking asylum abroad for safety from repression has increased. It clarified that if the Bulgarian authorities deport Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi to Saudi Arabia, he would be at real risk of repression, including arbitrary detention, torture, and an unfair trial leading to a long prison sentence, due to his political opinions and activities.
The organizations concluded that the Bulgarian authorities must respect their legal obligations, halt the deportation of Al-Khaldi immediately, release him from detention, and reconsider his request for international protection.
The signatories:
- AlQST for Human Rights
- Amnesty International
- Article 19
- Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
- Legal Assistance Center - Voice in Bulgaria
- Democracy for the Arab World Now
- مؤسسة الحدود الإلكترونية
- The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR)
- Midan Adel
- International Federation for Human Rights, within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
- House of Freedom
- Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)
- International Service for Human Rights
- MENA Rights Group
- Center for Democracy in the Middle East
- Mission Wings Foundation
- World Organization Against Torture, within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders