Fleeing woman held at airport

A SAUDI woman held at Bangkok airport said she would be killed if she was repatriated by Thai immigration officials, who confirmed the 18-year-old was denied entry to the country on Sunday.

The incident comes against the backdrop of intense scrutiny of Saudi Arabia over its investigation and handling of the shocking murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, which has renewed criticism of the kingdom’s human rights record.

Rahaf Mohammed alQunun told AFP she was stopped by Saudi and Kuwaiti officials when she arrived in Suvarnabhumi airport and her travel document was forcibly taken from her, a claim backed by Human Rights Watch.

“They took my passport,” she said, adding that her male guardian had reported her for travelling “without his permission”.

Ms Qunun said she was trying to flee her family, who subjected her to physical and psychological abuse.

“My family is strict and locked me in a room for six months just for cutting my hair,” she said, adding that she is certain she will be imprisoned if she is sent back.

“I’m sure 100 per cent they will kill me as soon as I get out of the Saudi jail,” she said, adding that she was “scared” and “losing hope”.

Ms Qunun was stopped from entering Thailand when she flew in from Kuwait on Sunday, Thailand’s immigration chief Surachate Hakparn told AFP.

“She had no further documents such as return ticket or money,” he said, adding that Ms Qunun was currently in an airport hotel.

“She ran away from her family to avoid marriage and she is concerned she may be in trouble returning to Saudi Arabia. We sent officials to take care of her now,” he said.

He said Thai authorities had contacted the “Saudi Arabia embassy to co-ordinate”.

But Ms Qunun disputed his account, saying she was only in transit to seek asylum in Australia, and was accosted by Saudi and Kuwaiti embassy representatives when she arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport.

She took to Twitter to plead her case, creating a profile with an Arabic bio that reads “I just want to survive”.

In a sign of growing desperation, Ms Qunun live-tweeted barricading her airport hotel room door with furniture.