Human Rights Organizations Urge Bulgaria to Halt Deportation of Activist to Saudi Arabia
Rights groups are urging Bulgaria to stop the deportation of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, a Saudi human rights advocate, emphasizing international laws against returning individuals to potential harm. Al-Khalidi, who has faced persecution for his activism, had his asylum application rejected, prompting appeals. Legal protections against deportation exist within various international frameworks, critical for al-Khalidi’s case.
A coalition of 20 human rights organizations has urged Bulgarian authorities to halt the deportation of Saudi human rights defender Abdulrahman al-Khalidi to Saudi Arabia, advocating instead for his resettlement in a third country. Al-Khalidi, a prominent advocate for human and prisoners’ rights for over ten years, fled Saudi Arabia in 2013 due to fears of persecution following his criticisms of the Saudi regime, notably his involvement with the online movement “Bees Army,” initiated by journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Following Khashoggi’s murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, al-Khalidi sought asylum in Bulgaria. Nonetheless, in May 2022, the Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees dismissed his asylum application, asserting there was insufficient evidence of potential persecution in Saudi Arabia. Al-Khalidi has pursued appeals against this ruling, addressing the Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria on two occasions.
In February 2024, Bulgaria’s National Security Agency issued an expulsion order for al-Khalidi, which the Sofia Administrative Court upheld in October 2024. This order, however, cannot be enacted until all appeal processes regarding his asylum status are thoroughly resolved.
Joey Shea, a researcher at Human Rights Watch focused on Saudi Arabia, cautioned that Bulgaria may be breaching the principle of nonrefoulement, which prohibits the deportation of individuals to countries where they could face harm. Legal protections exist within several international frameworks, including Article 3 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the European Convention on Human Rights, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which collectively safeguard individuals from being returned to territory where they may endure torture or persecution.
Furthermore, human rights organizations have reported increasing repression of dissidents in Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including a mass execution of 81 individuals in March 2022, despite announced intentions to reduce capital punishment.
In light of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi’s case, urgent action is needed from Bulgarian authorities to comply with international human rights norms and prevent his deportation to Saudi Arabia. Legal obligations exist to protect individuals from being returned to countries where they may face severe human rights violations. The ongoing advocacy of human rights organizations underscores the critical need to safeguard the rights of those seeking refuge from persecution.
Original Source: www.jurist.org
