Saudi Arabian human rights defender and journalist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi is facing the imminent risk of deportation from Bulgaria, despite his asylum application still being under consideration. This situation has sparked widespread concern within the international community, with many expressing worries about al-Khalidi's precarious position.

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Al-Khalidi has been detained by Bulgarian authorities for over three and a half years, even after courts twice ordered his release, on January 17th and March 26th respectively. His lawyers state that al-Khalidi, who advocated for democratic reforms in Saudi Arabia, including as a member of the "Bees Army," a Saudi online activist group led by the late Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, would face immediate arrest and torture if returned to his home country.

Al-Khalidi has received numerous online threats and harassment, including from prominent figures linked to the government, who have labeled him a traitor and urged his swift deportation. On March 28th, al-Khalidi was transferred to the immigration department of the Busmantsi detention center, a facility used to hold individuals awaiting deportation.

According to a press release issued by al-Khalidi, two plainclothes immigration officers read him the transfer order. "They started talking to me in Bulgarian, and I couldn't understand what was happening, and there was no prior warning. I didn't know what was happening. I thought they were going to release me because the court had ruled in my favor," al-Khalidi said in a statement. Officials refused to provide al-Khalidi with a written order, instead reading it to him in Bulgarian and having it translated over the phone.

Al-Khalidi stated, "The situation at the time was very tense and confusing, and I was unable to fully understand what was being said or what was being asked of me. I was not given the opportunity to review the written order in my own language." When al-Khalidi reached for his phone to contact his lawyer, he reported that officers "forcibly restrained" him and confiscated his phone. He said he was subsequently "coerced" into signing the order and told that if he did not comply, he would not receive a written version. Al-Khalidi has yet to see a written order in Arabic. "This is not only a violation of my rights, but a clear tactic to prevent me from understanding the legal basis for my continued detention," he said.

Al-Khalidi has been detained in Bulgaria since October 2021, when he crossed the border on foot. His asylum application was rejected by a Bulgarian court in 2021. Authorities stated that Saudi Arabia has taken steps toward social democratization and that they do not believe he is at risk, his lawyers said. He has been appealing this decision. In September 2023, the Bulgarian Supreme Court ruled that there were procedural errors in his case and ordered a retrial in a lower court. Two months later, the lower court sent his case back to the State Agency for Refugees for reconsideration.

On January 18th, the Sofia Administrative Court ordered his release, but this was subsequently overturned by the State Agency for National Security on January 22nd. On March 26th, the Sofia Administrative Court issued a final order for his immediate release. Human rights organization "Bulgarian Helsinki Committee" emphasized in a statement that al-Khalidi's continued detention and imminent deportation violate Bulgarian and international refugee law, as his asylum application is still pending.

Bulgarian authorities claim that continued detention of al-Khalidi is permissible based on national security grounds, as the Bulgarian Refugee Act states that "the restrictions on the use of coercive administrative measures…shall not apply if there are grounds to believe that the asylum seeker poses a threat to national security." However, "Bulgarian Helsinki Committee" points out that this loophole can only be applied after a final asylum decision has been made. "This blatant disregard for the rule of law by the Bulgarian authorities sets a dangerous precedent for all asylum seekers in the country," the organization stated.