A Saudi dissident seeking asylum in Bulgaria said Wednesday he has begun an open-ended hunger strike to secure his release from detention.
"I began an open-ended hunger strike on July 5 in protest of the Bulgarian authorities' violation of my human rights, European laws, and international treaties," Abd al-Rahman al-Khalidi told AFP by phone from the detention centre in Sofia where he has been held for nearly three years.
He called on Bulgarian authorities to "immediately and unconditionally release" him.
"I will continue my hunger strike until these demands are met," he said. "Any attempt to end the hunger strike by force without meeting my demands will lead to serious repercussions."
In 2011, Khalidi was active during rare demonstrations in eastern Saudi Arabia, where the country's Shiite minority is concentrated, following the Middle East's Arab Spring uprisings.
He fled to Turkey in 2013, then travelled on foot to Bulgaria in 2021 when his passport expired, seeking protection in the European Union.
Bulgarian authorities concluded in 2022 that Khalidi had not adequately demonstrated he would face persecution back home, according to a Bulgarian lawyer who worked on the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.
In February, he received a deportation order to return to Saudi Arabia, which he appealed.
If deported, he would be at "risk of torture and other serious human rights violations due to his political opinions and activism in Saudi Arabia", Amnesty International said in March.
Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has witnessed a severe crackdown on dissent, according to rights groups and activists.
Khalidi's fears for his safety intensified last year when Hassan al-Rabie, a fellow Saudi dissident, was extradited from Morocco, where he had sought temporary refuge.