Bulgaria Grants Asylum to Iranian Christian Convert Sentenced to Death

Bulgarian authorities have granted asylum to an Iranian citizen who says he was sentenced to death in Iran for converting from Islam to Christianity.

Bulgaria’s State Agency for Refugees (SRA) granted Alireza Beigi asylum on January 31, agreeing that Alireza Beigi’s life would be in danger if deported to his homeland, according to RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service.

"I feel so light. A big burden has been lifted off my shoulders," Baigi told the broadcaster after the decision.

Beigi fled to Bulgaria in 2021 but his initial request for asylum was rejected. He filed a second request in 2023 after learning he had been sentenced to death in absentia. 

Converts from Islam in Iran can risk arrest, attack or the death penalty.