- May 19, 2012
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Saudi Teen Seeks Asylum, Fears Family Will Kill Her
I always thought the Saudis were more reasonable people than that.
The Twitter account sprang into existence over the weekend, posting anguished pleas to anyone who would listen. "I am real, I exist, I am still breathing, but I am not sure I can continue or that I can stay alive unless the Saudi embassy stops pursuing me," wrote 18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun from the Thai airport where she was stopped en route to Australia.
The Saudi national said she was fleeing her abusive family, seeking asylum in any western country that would have her. "I'm in real danger," she said.
Human rights groups and western embassies implored the Thai government not to return the woman to Saudi Arabia. A group of Thai lawyers filed an injunction to prevent her from being deported back to Saudi Arabia, Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, tells NPR.
Now, authorities in Thailand have reversed their earlier position and called off the deportation, reports NPR's Senior Asia Correspondent Michael Sullivan. "The head of Thailand's immigration police told reporters she would not be returned against her will," Sullivan said. "Supporters hope she'll be given her passport back and allowed to continue her journey to Australia."
I always thought the Saudis were more reasonable people than that.