Watan-In a notable development, the Bulgarian judiciary has reconsidered the case of a Saudi dissident who was facing deportation to his home country after his asylum request was rejected.
This came after the Supreme Administrative Court in Bulgaria deemed the rejection of Saudi dissident Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi’s asylum request in Bulgaria to be based on an unsubstantiated opinion issued by the national security authorities, which deemed him a “threat to national security.”
The court stated that under European legislation, the Bulgarian Refugee Agency must consider all facts without being bound to systematically follow the opinion issued.
Al-Khalidi’s Departure Story
Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi left Saudi Arabia in 2013 out of fear of being detained before settling in Turkey.
As his passport expired, he was forced to leave Turkish territory in 2021 on a journey by foot through forests to Bulgaria, seeking protection in the European Union.
Al-Khalidi said, “I sought refuge in the European Union where human life has value, but I found myself in a prison whirlpool as if I were in Saudi Arabia.”
Concerns Over Al-Khalidi’s Deportation
Human rights organizations expressed widespread concern over the Bulgarian authorities’ intention to deport Al-Khalidi to Riyadh, where he may face severe penalties.
Seventeen non-governmental organizations expressed their deep concern in a statement issued by the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights.
The organizations stated in their statement that if Al-Khalidi is deported, he will 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 by immediately suspending Al-Khalidi’s deportation, releasing him from detention, and reconsidering his request for international protection through asylum.
Renowned Human Rights Organizations Intervene
In addition, Amnesty International Bulgaria called for his non-deportation and immediate release.
Human Rights Watch stated that the Bulgarian authorities must immediately suspend any plans to deport him to Saudi Arabia, where he “faces the risk of arbitrary detention, torture, and unfair trial.”
They considered that “given the widespread use of torture and violations of due process in the Saudi criminal justice system, Bulgaria would violate the principle of non-refoulement if they deported him.”