Abd-al-Rahman al Khalidi, is a Saudi dissident who has been seeking asylum in Bulgaria. On 5 July, he started a hunger strike to get release from detention. He has been held in detention for almost 3 years in Sofia. According to him, this hunger strike is the protest against Bulgarian authorities who violated his human rights. He also said that his arrest is totally against the European laws and international treaties.
These laws and treaties that are supposed to protect him, have been totally disregarded in his case. Al Khalidi also wants immediate and unconditional releases. He is deeply frustrated with this long time detention that is unfair. According to him, he was arrested without any reason. In a phone call from the detention center, he shared these concerns, hoping that his hunger strike will draw attention to his situation and lead to action from the Bulgarian authorities.
This hunger strike is continued until the authorities fulfill his demands. If they ignore and do not agree with his demands then the consequences may be severe that leads to a worse situation.
However, Bulgaria’s State Refugee Agency (SAR) seems to disagree with his claims. They said via email that they received no proof related to the truth of this hunger strike. They also claimed that they don’t believe that he actually stopped eating.
The agency also claims that they take any reports of human rights violations from asylum seekers very seriously and promise to take action if they find anything wrong.
Back in 2011, whenKhalidi was actively involved in protests in eastern Saudi Arabia, where many Shiites live. These protests were part of the larger Arab Spring movements happening across the Middle East at that time, which shows his determination in fighting for his beliefs.
The case for his arrest is quite challenging. In 2013, he first fled to Turkey. In this nation his passport expired in 2021. After this expired he traveled to Bulgaria on foot. He hoped that in the European Union he would find protection and safety. However, in 2022, the Bulgarian authorities determined that he did not provide enough evidence to show that he would face persecution if he returned to his home country. One of the Bulgarian lawyers shared this information. This person remains anonymous.
In February, he received a deportation order to return to Saudi Arabia, which he decided to appeal. The administrative court in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, decided to delay the hearing of his appeal until September. This delay means he remains in a difficult and uncertain situation, waiting for a resolution to his appeal and his future in Bulgaria.
A good decision made by Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court. This institute asked for a review of the State Refugee Agency’s refusal to grant asylum. Initially, it seems like that the decision was unjust and unfair. This because it was based on an opinion from the State Agency for National Security that wasn’t properly supported. They claimed that this person was a threat to national security. However, they did not provide any real proof to back it up.
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee has been advocating for Khalidi, and their chairwoman, Adela Kachaunova, has expressed concern about his situation. Although she couldn’t confirm right away whether he is still on hunger strike, she has argued that his continued detention seems excessive. In her view, the length of his detention is not reasonable or justified, given the circumstances.
Furthermore, Amnesty International stated that the political opinion of Al-Khalidi put him in serious trouble. Especially if he is sent back to Saudi Arabia, could face serious human rights abuses. They argue that the reason behind the mistreatment is his political thoughts. Rights groups also claimed that under the power of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has become very harsh. Also this nation punishes the one who opposes the government or speaks out against it.
This type of atmosphere of Saudi Arabia has created a very tough situation for dissidents like Khalidi.
His concerns about his safety grew even more last year after Hassan al-Rabie, another Saudi dissident, was forcibly returned from Morocco, where he had gone to seek temporary protection. This incident made Khalidi fear that he could face similar dangers if he is deported, intensifying his worries about the potential risks to his life and well-being.