Urgent! Open Letter On Humanitarian Visa for Dissident Abdulrahman al-Khalidi
To the diplomatic community and the EU representation in Bulgaria
From active citizens full of concern
OPEN LETTER
on the Decision for Expulsion of Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi
Dear Esteemed Representatives of the International Diplomatic Community and the European Union in Bulgaria,
The ruling comes following three long years of unprecedented illegal detention, institutional abuse and flagrant violation of Abdulrahman's basic human rights, raising suspicions of collusion between Bulgarian authorities and Saudi secret services, as well as serious concerns about Bulgaria's commitment to democracy and international law. From the perspective of active citizens, we would like to to provide you with a detailed timeline of his ordeal, in hopes it helps inform you on the best course of action within your powers to ensure the immediate repeal of the expulsion order and the granting of international protection for Abdulrahman, such as through an urgent humanitarian visa. Please find the timeline attached.
In regards to the attached account of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi's dissident asylum-seeking journey, we have reasons to claim that his case constitutes a shameless violation of the rule of law, basic human rights, justice and humanity.
The duration of his detention is unprecedentedly long and illegal, and according to his latest psychological evaluation, the damage to his mental state resulting from the conditions of detention. has worsened the PTSD with which Abdulrahman has been diagnosed multiple times Furthermore, the issuance of a vague decision to extradite him to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without any additional guiding documents and without the possibility of appeal raises concerns, especially given Bulgaria's track record of violating international law through the misinterpretation of similar decisions (the cases of Abdullah Büyük and Selahattin Yürün). The global democratic community can not afford to turn a blind eye to this. Europe in particular is in urgent need of displaying effective mechanisms in member states experiencing a serious democratic crisis.
Active citizens in solidarity with Abdulrahman al-Khalidi
Migrant Solidarity Bulgaria
Detailed Timeline of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi's Case
2011-2013: Journalist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi is an active human-rights defender and member of the peaceful democratic opposition in his home country of Saudi Arabia, subject to progressively escalating repression by the dictatorial regime, including torture and death sentences, which forces him to emigrate to Turkey with his wife and children;
2013-2021: Abdulrahman continues his advocay work remotely and joins the online Bees Movement launched by renowned human rights defender Jamal Khashoggi, a colleague and personal acquaintance of Abdulrahman's. Following Khashoggi's brutal executuin by the Saudi regime at the consulate in Turkey in 2018 and the expiry of his family's papers, Abdulrahman is forced to choose between 1- risking entrance in the same consulate to get the papers renewed, with high chances of facing Khashooggi's fate, and 2- fleeing to Europe;
25 October 2021: Abdulrahman is arrested in Bulgaria shortly after crossing the border from Turkey;
16 November 2021: Abdulrahman applies for asylum in Bulgaria;
25 November 2021: Abdulrahman is transferred to the Busmantsi detention centre near Sofia, Bulgaria;
14 February 2022: Abdulrahman appeal against his administrative detention is rejected; this decision cannot be appealed;
27 May 2022: The Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees (SAR) rejects Abdulrahman's asylum application;
9 June 2022: Abdulrahmani appeals the rejection of his asylum application to the Sofia Administrative Court;
20 February 2023: The Sofia Administrative Court rejects Abdulrahmani's appeal;
13 March 2023: Abdulrahman appeals the rejection of his asylum application to the Supreme Administrative Court;
11 May 2023: MENA Rights Group submits Abdulrahman's case to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture;
19 September 2023: Abdulrahman is heard by the Supreme Administrative Court;
20 September 2023: MENA Rights Group submits al-Khalidi's case to UN Special Procedures mandate holders;
27 September 2023: the Supreme Administrative Court gives its verdict and decides to annul all lower decisions and send the case back to the lower courts for retrial due to procedural defects and errors;
12 December 2023: His case for asylum is heard again by the Sofia City Lower Administrative Court. The court decides to send his case back to SAR for reconsideration;
18 January 2024: Abdulrahman attends a hearing at the Administrative Court in Sofia regarding his detention. The decision is made very quickly the following day and his release by SAR is ordered;
22 January 2024: A non-motivated administrative decision is issued by the State Agency for National Security (SANS) denying his release;
26 January 2024: The Administrative Court rejects his release order;
7 February 2024: Abdulrahman is visited by an investigator from the SANS and handed an untranslated order for his immediate deportation;
25 April 2024: The Supreme Court overturns the decision to deny him asylum and sends his case back to SAR for reconsideration, confirming SAR's right to ignore unsubstantiated claims by SANS;
10 May 2024: Abdulrahman's appeal against the expulsion order to the Sofia City Administrative Court is postponed until 9 July;
23 May 2024: Abdulrahman submits a request for release to SAR. SAR has seven days to respond;
5 June 2024: SAR rejects the release request again referring to SANS's unsubstantiated claims of "threat to national security" and despite the rulings of the courts of last resort;
5 July 2024: Abdulrahman starts a hunger strike;
9 September 2024: Sofia City Administrative Court dismisses Abdulrahman's appeal against his detention in Busmanci on the grounds that some SANS statements are special and not subject to judicial review;
7 October 2024: A petition with over 1,100 signatures in support of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi's immediate release is submitted to the Office of the President and the Council of Ministers;
16 October 2024: Abdulrahman makes the hard decision to end his hunger strike on Day 104, upon pleas by fellow activists and supporters;
22 October 2024: Sofia City Administrative Court upholds SANS's expulsion order on the identical grounds that certain SANS statements are special and no subject to judicial review.
Migrant Solidarity Bulgaria Contact the author of the petition