(Aljazeera/AFP) -- Amnesty International has condemned Qatar’s deportation of Saudi human rights activist to Saudi Arabia.
Qatar deported the activist who was on his way to Norway seeking international protection, a watchdog and Norwegian officials said.
Qatari authorities confirmed the deportation of Mohammed Abdullah al-Otaibi, 49, but said it had taken place on Wednesday May 24.
The official Qatar News Agency (QNA) quoted a foreign ministry source as saying that "the extradition was... based on legal procedures and regional and international agreements relating to the extradition of accused persons and criminals."
The Norwegian justice ministry confirmed that a Saudi human rights activist had received a travel permit to Norway as a (UN) quota refugee.
The ministry said that al-Otaibi and his wife - who was not deported to Saudi Arabia - were not seeking asylum in Norway but have been processed as United Nations refugees.
Mohammed al-Otaibi fled to neighbouring Qatar in March after he faced charges in Saudi Arabia related to his human rights work and was referred to an anti-terrorism court, the [persian] Gulf Center for Human Rights said in a statement.