Rahaf al-Qunun: Thailand admits Saudi woman seeking to asylum

Thailand’s immigration cops chief have established that younger Saudi lady trying passage to asylum around australia is temporarily acknowledge to help you the country to have analysis because of the Un refugee agencies. Surachate Hakparn informed reporters into Tuesday one to 18-year-dated Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun could well be supplied entryway underneath the shelter of place of work of your United nations Large Commissioner out of Refugees (UNHCR). He told you the fresh new Un department perform bring at least four so you’re able to seven days to check their own circumstances. Surachate’s announcement came shortly after Thai regulators greet a Us group so you can satisfy al-Qunun. Photographs written by this new Associated Press reports service presented al-Qunun and some Thai authorities leaving the fresh Bangkok resort towards the Tuesday evening, however, their own specific destination wasn’t produced personal. Al-Qunun afterwards released on the social networking stating that their unique father had arrived in Bangkok, and that she is “concerned and you may scared”. She plus printed a photo of their unique passport, which was apparently confiscated by Thai authorities before.

Al-Qunun got barricaded herself from the hotel earlier to end government from deporting their. A keen immigration official later told you she would not be compelled to exit Thailand because of worries about their particular better-are. UNHCR also said toward Tuesday that it was assessing al-Qunun’s “need for global refugee security.” They said that “to have factors from privacy and you may safety” it could maybe not launch details of their appointment. Al-Qunun said she fled Kuwait if you’re their own family relations is visiting the Gulf coast of florida nation along with wished to travel toward away from Thailand so you’re able to Australia to seek asylum. She told you Evlilik iГ§in Filipin kadД±n she was arrested immediately after making their airplanes into the Bangkok and you will informed she would end up being repaid to help you Kuwait. Al-Qunun shared photographs out of herself into the Myspace throughout the room where she got held since the their own arrival the previous time, since the authorities and you can police attained outside the door to take her so you can an airplane to return their own to help you Kuwait. A Thai judge refused a try to cut-off their own deportation, but times later on the nation’s immigration master stopped intends to expel al-Qunun mentioning concerns for her defense. “This new journey a week ago try via Kuwait Air companies to deliver her back into Saudi Arabia. If she will not exit, we’ll not push her,” chief from immigration police Surachate Hakparn told journalists. Surachate plus said he would meet officials from the UN’s refugee institution at night to talk about their unique asylum plans.

Passport grabbed

Legal rights category Amnesty Internationally released an announcement into Monday stating t he random confiscation out of good passport “ violates the authority to liberty of motion”. Al-Qunun is actually detained shortly after she had of their own journey in the Bangkok. She said she got originally wished to spend a short while inside the Thailand, a popular place to go for medical treatment, thus their unique measures won’t create suspicion whenever she left Kuwait.

This display screen capture out-of a video clip put-out to help you AFPTV via the Fb account out of Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun towards reveals a still of Qunun speaking from inside the Bangkok into the med al-Qunun stored within Bangkok airport told you she would feel slain if the she try repatriated from the Thai immigration authorities, whom confirmed the latest 18-year-old was refused usage of the country into January six. Qunun told AFP she try stopped by Saudi and you will Kuwaiti officials whenever she arrived in Suvarnabhumi airport during the Bangkok and her take a trip file was forcibly taken from their own, a state supported by Individual Legal rights Check out. Handout / Due to Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun / AFP

“When i arrived at airport, individuals showed up and told you however procedure the latest [Thai] charge however, the guy took my passport. He came back as to what seemed to be airport shelter and you may said that my personal moms and dads objected and you will told you I must return to Saudi Arabia via Kuwait Air way,” she advised the newest Reuters news agency. Their allege their unique passport was actually caught are backed by People Liberties Observe (HRW). Al-Qunun informed the fresh new AFP news agencies to your Sunday that their own male guardian had reported her to have traveling “as opposed to his consent”. Abdulilah al-Shouaibi, charges d’affaires during the Saudi embassy in Bangkok, informed Saudi-had Television channel Khalijia that the female’s dad, an elderly local authorities specialized, had called brand new diplomatic purpose getting “help” taking their unique back. But he denied one their unique passport ended up being grabbed and therefore embassy officials was basically present from inside the airport. A facebook statement regarding Saudi embassy in the Bangkok told you al-Qunun is actually dropped by Thai government having “breaking regulations”.

‘Dropping hope’

Al-Qunun told you she is actually seeking to flee their members of the family, whom she accused regarding subjecting their unique in order to bodily and you will psychological punishment, hence she are certain she’d end up being jailed in the event the she was delivered back. “My family was tight and closed myself for the a-room for 6 months for reducing my personal tresses,” she told you. “I understand 100 % they are going to destroy me personally the moment I have from the Saudi prison,” she told you, adding she are “scared” and you may “shedding promise”. The fresh UNHCR told you according to concept from non-refoulement, asylum seekers can not be gone back to the nation out-of origin when the they fear its life is under threat. A different sort of Saudi lady, Dina Ali Lasloom, are stopped for the transit regarding Philippines inside the ily. A trip defense authoritative advised activists you to Lasloom is heard “screaming and you may begging to own help” because the men carried her “with duct tape on her mouth area, hands and feet” from the airport.

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