The story of an 18-year-old Saudi Arabian woman who reached Thailand on Saturday on the pretext of fleeing abuse by her family is being tracked by the global news media and social media.
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun had reached Thailand from Kuwait where she was visiting with her family. Rahaf claimed she reached Thailand to travel onward to Australia where she planned to apply for asylum. Rahaf feared she would be killed if she was taken back to Saudi Arabia. Speaking to Reuters from a transit hotel in Bangkok, Rahaf claimed her brothers and family were waiting for her in Kuwait.
Video from @rahaf84427714 just sent from her hotel room at the #Bangkok airport. She has barricaded herself in the room & says she will not leave until she is able to see #UNHCR. Why is #Thailand not letting @Refugees see her for refugee status determination? @hrw #SaveRahaf pic.twitter.com/3lb2NDRsVG
— Phil Robertson (@Reaproy) January 7, 2019
"My life is in danger. My family threatens to kill me for the most trivial things," Rahaf claimed. Rahaf had earlier claimed her family was very strict and had even punished her for cutting her hair. On Sunday, Rahaf told the BBC she had renounced Islam.
Activists supporting Rahaf claim she was expected to be deported on a Kuwait Airways flight to Kuwait City by midday on Monday.
Sophie McNeill, a reporter with Australia's ABC News, tweeted early on Monday there were guards outside Rahaf's hotel room and she had been denied access to a lawyer. A Twitter handle purported to belong to Rahaf and being managed by a friend has posted regular updates about her situation since it was created on January 6. The handle has also posted a video of Rahaf appealing to meet the UNHCR to seek asylum.
Thai officials claim they had denied Rahaf entry to the country as she did not have valid documents to get a visa on arrival. However, Rahaf claimed Saudi and Kuwaiti diplomatic staff had seized her documents. Human Rights Watch and other activists appealed to Thailand not to deport Rahaf as she was an adult who faced danger.
"Thai authorities should immediately halt any deportation, and either allow her to continue her travel to Australia or permit her to remain in Thailand to seek protection as a refugee," said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
The story of Rahaf bears some similarity to the case of UAE princess Sheikha Latifa, whose yacht was stopped by the Indian Coast Guard when she was fleeing the UAE in March last year. The princess's capture and return is claimed to have helped India with the extradition of AugustaWestland middleman Christian Michel.
The possible deportation of Rahaf comes even as Saudi Arabia grapples with global outrage over the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
