Rights organizations are calling on Bulgaria to stop the deportation of Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, who fears persecution in Saudi Arabia. Having sought asylum in Bulgaria after fleeing the country in 2013, al-Khalidi has had his asylum claims rejected twice. Concerns about violating international law and the risk of harm highlight the need for Bulgaria to address this case carefully.
A coalition of 20 human rights organizations urged Bulgarian authorities to halt the deportation of Saudi human rights defender Abdulrahman al-Khalidi to Saudi Arabia and facilitate his resettlement to a third country. Al-Khalidi, who has advocated for human and prisoners’ rights for over a decade, fled Saudi Arabia in 2013 due to fears of persecution, continuing his activism through writings and his involvement in the online movement “Bees Army,” initiated by journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Following Khashoggi’s murder in 2018, al-Khalidi sought asylum in Bulgaria.
In May 2022, Bulgaria’s State Agency for Refugees rejected al-Khalidi’s asylum request, dismissing his claims of persecution risk in Saudi Arabia. Al-Khalidi appealed this decision twice to the Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria. Furthermore, the National Security Agency of Bulgaria issued an expulsion order against him in February 2024, which the Sofia Administrative Court confirmed in October 2024. However, this order cannot be enforced until all pending asylum appeals are addressed.
Joey Shea, a Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, expressed concerns that Bulgaria could breach the nonrefoulement principle, prohibiting countries from deporting individuals to places where they might suffer harm. The Convention Against Torture, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights, establishes protections against expulsion to countries where individuals face substantial danger of torture or degrading treatment. Moreover, international law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, reinforces these safeguards. Article 33 of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees also prohibits returning refugees to regions where they could face persecution.
Historically, rights organizations have documented the Saudi regime’s repression of dissidents under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, notably including the execution of 81 individuals in March 2022, marking the largest mass execution in recent years, despite prior commitments to restrict capital punishment.
The ongoing situation involving Abdulrahman al-Khalidi highlights significant concerns regarding human rights and international legal principles. Rights organizations stress Bulgaria’s duty to protect al-Khalidi from potential persecution in Saudi Arabia, supported by various international conventions that safeguard against the deportation of individuals at risk of harm. The case underscores the broader implications of state actions in addressing human rights violations and the principle of nonrefoulement.
Original Source: www.jurist.org
