Saudi teen claims she is trapped in Bangkok airport after trying to escape family

The teen has been tweeting about her ordeal
@rahaf84427714
Olivia Tobin6 January 2019

A Saudi teenager has claimed she is trapped in Bangkok’s main airport after trying to flee her family.

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, has claimed her family have threatened to kill her on her return because she has renounced Islam.

The young woman said she was on a trip to Kuwait with her family before she fled on a flight two days ago.

It was hoped she could have made it to Australia, via Bangkok, to seek asylum.

It is understood a relative reported Ms Mohammed al-Qunun for travelling without the company of a male guardian and she was detained at the airport.

Ms Mohammed al-Qunun has described her ordeal on Twitter, claiming she has been followed around the airport by Saudi officials who have confiscated her passport.

At about 1pm UK time, the teenager tweeted: “My family is strict and locked me in a room for six months just for cutting my hair.

“I’m sure 100 per cent they will kill me as soon as I get out of the Saudi jail”.

She added that she was “scared and losing hope”.

Thailand officials have said she will be deported to Saudi Arabia tomorrow.

Ms Mohammed al-Qunun also claimed she had been threatened by staff while being held.

She wrote: “'I have been threatened by several staff from the Saudi embassy and the Kuwaiti airlines, and they said 'If you run, we will find you and kidnap you, then deal with you' I really don't know how they are going to behave in case I run.”

The teen also shared images of her passport and full name as she had “nothing to lose” now and because she wanted people to “know that I’m real and I exist”.

Thailand's immigration chief Surachate Hakparn told AFP: 'Rahaf Mohammed M Alqunun ran away from her family to avoid marriage and she is concerned she may be in trouble returning to Saudi Arabia'.

He said: 'She had no further documents such as return ticket or money.

He added that Thai authorities contacted the 'Saudi Arabia embassy to coordinate'.

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