MEPs Urge Bulgaria to Release Saudi Activist Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi and Warn Against Deportation
Eighteen Members of the European Parliament have sent an official letter to the Bulgarian government expressing deep concern over the continued detention of Saudi human rights defender Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi, who has been held in administrative detention for nearly five years while facing an ongoing risk of deportation to Saudi Arabia. The MEPs warned that any such deportation would expose him to a real risk of torture, persecution, or other serious human rights violations.
The letter stresses that Al-Khalidi’s case raises serious legal concerns. His application for international protection remains pending and has not been finally determined, despite repeated rejections that were annulled multiple times by the Supreme Administrative Court due to serious procedural violations. The MEPs noted that he has obtained three favorable rulings from the Court within his asylum proceedings, indicating significant flaws in how the authorities have handled his case.
The MEPs also expressed concern over his continued detention despite court orders for his release. They highlighted that Bulgarian authorities repeatedly issued new detention orders immediately after such rulings, effectively keeping him deprived of liberty. This pattern, they argued, undermines the rule of law, renders judicial decisions ineffective, and raises serious questions about respect for judicial authority.
The letter further criticizes the use of “national security” justifications for his continued detention, noting that such claims have not been supported by an individualized assessment of his conduct or risk, nor subjected to sufficient judicial scrutiny in line with European standards. Medical assessments describe him as non-aggressive, and relying on detention-induced psychological deterioration as justification for continued detention is considered unlawful and incompatible with human rights principles.
MEPs emphasized that the prolonged duration of detention—approaching five years—raises serious concerns under the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly regarding the prohibition of inhuman treatment and the right to liberty. They stressed that administrative detention must remain a measure of last resort, strictly necessary, and limited in time.
The letter also warns that deporting Al-Khalidi to Saudi Arabia could violate the principle of non-refoulement, given the risks he faces, while noting that transfer to a third country remains uncertain and lacks sufficient legal guarantees.
In conclusion, the MEPs called on the Bulgarian government to:
Fully comply with judicial rulings regarding his detention;
Reassess the necessity and proportionality of his continued detention under EU law;
Guarantee that he will not be deported or exposed to harm;
Ensure that asylum proceedings are conducted independently and without interference.
They also requested formal clarification on the legal basis for his continued detention, the judicial oversight of national security claims, the realistic prospect of removal, and the measures taken to ensure effective judicial review.
It is worth noting that Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi was a political activist in Saudi Arabia. Fearing arrest amid escalating repression, he fled to Turkey, and after his passport expired, he crossed into Bulgaria on foot in 2021 seeking protection within the European Union. However, Bulgarian authorities rejected his asylum request, claiming he failed to prove a risk of persecution, while his case is increasingly seen as part of a broader pattern of transnational repression, amid reports of Saudi pressure contributing to his continued detention.
