Bulgaria has granted asylum to Iranian citizen Alireza Beigi, who says he was given a death sentence in absentia in his homeland for renouncing Islam in favor of Christianity. Beigi fled to Bulgaria in 2022 but his initial request for asylum was rejected, and he was threatened with deportation. However, he applied a second time in 2023 after learning that he had been sentenced to death, submitting a petition in his defense signed by 2,600 people. Bulgarian authorities agreed his life was in danger and on January 31, granted him asylum. To read the full story by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, please click here.
Bulgaria Grants Asylum To Iranian Who Feared Death At Home If Deported
Alireza Beigi (file photo)