Rahaf Mohammed Mutlaq al-Qunun
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
| Rahaf Mohammed Mutlaq al-Qunun | |
|---|---|
| Native name | رهف محمد القنون |
| Born | 11 March 2000 |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Saudi Arabian |
| 💼 Occupation | Student |
Rahaf Mohammed Mutlaq al-Qunun (Arabic: رهف محمد القنون; born 11 March 2000[1]) is a Saudi woman who was detained by Thai authorities on 6 January 2019 whilst transiting through Bangkok airport, en route from Kuwait to Australia.[2][3] She was attempting to flee her family and seek asylum in Australia because she says they subjected her to physical and psychological abuse, and is concerned that she could face execution if deported back to her native Saudi Arabia.[4][5] As of 9 January, she is under protection of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, who have granted her refugee status, and the Thai government has agreed not to deport her.[6]
Detention[edit]
Rahaf Mohammed رهف محمد القنون via Twitter @rahaf84427714 based on the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol, I'm rahaf mohmed, formally seeking a refugee status to any country that would protect me from getting harmed or killed due to leaving my religion and torture from my family.
6 January 2019[7]
Al-Qunun, who says her family subjected her to physical and psychological abuse,[8] was on vacation with them in Kuwait when she left them and boarded a flight to Bangkok, Thailand. She intended to continue on another flight to seek asylum in Australia.[8] She says that she has renounced Islam and is concerned that she could face execution by her family if deported to Saudi Arabia.[9][10] A visa had been issued to her that permitted entry into Australia[8] between 8 December 2018 and 8 December 2020. Her family reportedly made a missing-persons report for her, and a man greeted her upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, not disclosing that he was a Saudi embassy official, and told her that he needed her passport so that he could help her obtain a Thai visa. He left with her passport and did not return. Al-Qunun never intended to leave the airport's transit area[2][4] and therefore did not require a Thai visa.
In a series of posts on Twitter, al-Qunun said she had barricaded herself in a hotel room within the airport, was refusing to exit until she met with UN representatives, claimed refugee status, and implored embassy officials of various Western nations to assist her in seeking asylum.[8] In one tweet, she shared a picture of her passport.[1][4] Australian ABC Journalist Sophie McNeill barricaded herself with al-Qunun in the room to protect her.[11] While barricaded al-Qunun also allowed a friend to tweet on her behalf.[12][13]
Lawyers in Thailand filed an injunction to prevent her forced deportation.[14] The injunction was subsequently dismissed.[15] Thailand's chief of immigration police Surachate Hakparn subsequently confirmed that authorities in the country had acted at the behest of Saudi Arabia.[15]
Al-Qunun was scheduled to depart on a flight to Kuwait on 7 January 2019 to be forcibly repatriated but successfully avoided being put on the flight. The Thai government later released a statement saying they would not deport her.[6]
Her case has been compared to that of Dina Ali Lasloom.[15]
UN involvement[edit]
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees issued a statement on 7 January, stating that:[16]
The Thai authorities have granted UNHCR access to Saudi national, Rahaf Mohammed Al-qunun, at Bangkok airport to assess her need for international refugee protection... For reasons of confidentiality and protection, we will not in a position to comment on the details of the meeting.
She subsequently left the airport in the care of the agency.[15] The UNHCR subsequently granted her refugee status and asked the Australian government to consider granting her asylum.[17]
Initial discrepancies in Thai government's accounts of events[edit]
According to an initial assessment on Saturday, 5 January 2019 by Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson, it seemed "That the Thai government... (was then) manufacturing a story that she tried to apply for a visa and it was denied... in fact, she had an onward ticket to go to Australia, she didn't want to enter Thailand in the first place."[4] Two days later on Monday, 7 January 2019, after international pressure, the Thai official overseeing immigration in the case, General Surachate Hakparn, was seen somewhat at ease, walking beside al-Qunon, and stated that "We will not send anyone to die. We will not do that. We will adhere to human rights under the rule of law."[18] Subsequently, she was placed under the care of the UNHCR, her passport, which had indeed included a valid Australian tourist visa, was returned to her, and formal arrangements for the establishment of her long-term asylum status had begun.[19]
See also[edit]
- Honor killing
- Human rights in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia – Thailand relations
- Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 @rahaf84427714 (6 January 2019). "This is a copy of my passport, Im shering it with you now because I want you to know I'm real and exist" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Thailand vows not to deport Saudi woman". BBC News. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
- ↑ Paddock, Richard C. (7 January 2019). "Fleeing Saudi Woman Is Staying in Thailand for Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-07 – via NYTimes.com.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Saudi woman 'trapped trying to flee'". 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019 – via www.bbc.com.
- ↑ Paddock, Richard C.; Hubbard, Ben (6 January 2019). "Saudi Woman Who Tried to Flee Family Says, 'They Will Kill Me'". New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kaewjinda, Kaweewit; Batrawy, Aya (2019-01-07). "Thai police say they won't deport Saudi woman seeking asylum". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
- ↑ Rahaf Mohammed رهف محمد القنون [@rahaf84427714] (6 January 2019). "based on the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol, I'm rahaf mohmed, formally seeking a refugee status to any country that would protect me from getting harmed or killed due to leaving my religion and torture from my family" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Fullerton, Jamie; Davidson, Helen (7 January 2019). "'He wants to kill her': friend confirms fears of Saudi woman held in Bangkok". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
- ↑ "Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi woman ends airport hotel standoff". BBC News. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ↑ "Rahaf Alqunun: Thailand admits Saudi woman seeking asylum". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
- ↑ "Inside a barricaded hotel room with the Saudi woman seeking Australian asylum". ABC News. 2019-01-08. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
- ↑ "Australia urged to help Saudi teenager barricaded inside Thai hotel room". The Guardian. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ↑ "Australian-based friend of Rahaf Alqunun says she just wants any safe country". ABC Radio. 2019-01-08. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
- ↑ Schwartz, Matthew S. "Saudi Teen Seeks Asylum, Fears Family Will Kill Her". NPR. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 "Saudi woman ends airport hotel standoff". BBC News. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ↑ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "UNHCR statement on the situation of Rahaf Mohammed Al-qunun at Bangkok airport". UNHCR. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ↑ "Saudi woman 'given refugee status'". BBC News. 9 January 2019.
- ↑ Batrawy, Aya (7 January 2019). "Rahaf Al-Qunun, fleeing Saudi Arabia, allowed to stay in Thailand". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- ↑ Fullerton, Jamie; Davidson, Helen (8 January 2019). "'You saved Rahaf's life': online outcry kept 'terrified' Saudi woman safe, says friend". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
External links[edit]
- Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
This article "Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
|
This page exists already on Wikipedia. |
- Current events from January 2019
- Blanked or modified
- Refugees
- Saudi Arabian women
- 2000 births
- Saudi Arabian prisoners and detainees
- Human rights in Saudi Arabia
- Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
- Violence against women in Saudi Arabia
- Right of asylum
- Human rights abuses
- Right of asylum in Australia
- Saudi Arabian former Muslims
