By 
GHRD Research Team
Nadejda Bostanova, September 13, 2022
A Saudi human rights activist, Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, who came to Bulgaria in 2021 to seek asylum, remains in detention despite a court ruling ordering his release. Instead of complying, authorities are moving forward with plans to deport him to Saudi Arabia, where he faces a risk of persecution.
Despite a court order, Saudi human rights activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi is still detained and faces deportation from Bulgaria. On April 5th, 2025, the Bulgarian non-governmental organisation Migrant Solidarity Bulgaria issued a press release on the case of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, who was arrested at the Bulgarian border in 2021 while seeking asylum.
In 2011, Khalidi was still a law student when he started advocating for prisoners’ rights in Saudi Arabia through the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association. Following the Arab Spring demonstrations, Saudi authorities launched a campaign of mass arrests in the country, during which many of Khalidi’s friends were also detained. To avoid arrest and ensure his safety, Khalidi decided to leave the country. He first flew to Egypt, then to Qatar, and finally to Turkey, where he lived for seven years.
In Turkey, Khalidi was part of the Online Bee Movement, which worked to counter pro-Saudi government disinformation. This movement was launched by prominent Saudi journalist and human rights defender Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. After the killing, Khalidi was afraid to enter the same consulate to renew his documents and was left with no other choice but to flee to Europe.
On October 25th, 2021, Khalidi was arrested by the Bulgarian authorities after crossing the border from Turkey. On November 16th, he applied for asylum in Bulgaria. Since then, his asylum application has not been resolved. However, on April 4th, he was transferred to the Migration Directorate section of the Busmantsi detention center, following an order from the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security (DANS) on February 5th, 2024, which called for his deportation to Saudi Arabia. This action violates both Bulgarian national and international refugee law since it is illegal to enforce deportation while Khalidi’s asylum case is still pending.
Moreover, on March 26th, 2025, the Sofia Administrative Court ordered the immediate release of Khalidi. However, as previously mentioned, the activist was transferred from the State Agency for Refugees section to the Migration Directorate section for deportation instead of complying with the court’s ruling. It appears that this transfer was carried out with several irregularities, such as a lack of prior notification, no written order in Arabic, temporary confiscation of his phone, restricted access to a lawyer, and forced signing of documents he could not understand.
Bulgarian authorities might argue that Khalidi’s detention is justified on national security grounds, citing Article 67(3) of the Asylum and Refugees Act. Nonetheless, both Bulgarian and international law state that security-based exclusions can only be applied after a final decision has been made on an asylum application. Therefore, as the organisation argues, all actions related to his deportation in accordance with the law should be suspended until the Supreme Administrative Court assesses Khalidi’s asylum case. Still, Migrant Solidarity Bulgaria highlights that there are reasonable grounds to believe that in case of deportation, Khalidi’s life would be in danger.
Sources and Further Readings:
Bulgaria should not deport Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi and should immediately release him
Saudi activist held in Bulgaria “hours or days” from deportation, lawyers fear
Bulgaria: Don’t Deport Saudi Activist
INTERVIEW OF MIGRANT SOLIDARITY BULGARIA WITH VICTOR LILOV, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Bulgaria: Detention and imminent extradition of Saudi activist
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