A North Korean defector who sought asylum in Russia has been denied temporary asylum, the Russian news agency RBC reported on Wednesday.

The defector identified only as “Kim” tried to achieve permanent refugee status in November 21, 2015 and previously in January 2014, but was rejected. On December 17 he applied for temporary refugee status but failed again.

Russia’s Federal Migration Service (FMS) refused Kim’s application, saying Kim’s life was not in danger should he return to North Korea. FMS believed that Kim considers Russia a “transit country,” according to RBC.

Human rights activists filed a complaint against the decision, seeking