The dramatic scenes and Alqunun’s pleas for help echoed those of other women who have tried to flee abusive or restrictive conditions for them in Saudi Arabia. In 2017, Dina Lasloom, a 24-year old Saudi woman, was similarly attempting to seek asylum in Australia when she was stopped in an airport in Manila. She was forced to return to Saudi Arabia, and has not been publicly heard from since. In Saudi Arabia, women need a male relative’s approval to depart the country — restrictions that last from birth until death. Alqunun could also face possible criminal charges in Saudi Arabia for “parental disobedience” and for harming the reputation of Saudi Arabia by publicly appealing for help.

Source: Washington Post January 07, 2019 05:22 UTC