Dina Ali Lasloom
Dina Ali Lasloom | |
---|---|
دينا علي السلوم | |
![]() Last known photo of Dina Ali (left), 10 April 2017, being confronted by her uncles in Manila | |
Born | 29 March 1993 Saudi Arabia |
Disappeared | 12 April 2017 (aged 24) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
Status | Missing for 4 years, 4 months and 6 days |
Nationality | Saudi Arabian |
Occupation | School teacher |
Known for | Attempting to flee Saudi Arabia |
Height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) |
Dina Ali Lasloom (Arabic: دينا علي السلوم; born 29 March 1993)[1] is a Saudi woman who attempted to seek asylum in Australia to escape Saudi guardianship laws, but was forcibly repatriated to Saudi Arabia from the Philippines.[2] She was stopped in transit at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on 10 April 2017 and sent back to Saudi Arabia on 11 April 2017.[3][4]
Lasloom's documents were confiscated by Filipino airport officials in the International Zone.[5][6] Her case spread widely on social media after she recorded a video with the help of a Canadian tourist at the Manila airport, in which she said she feared her family would kill her if she returned.[7][8] However, despite physically resisting, she was ultimately taken by her uncles onto a plane to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 11 April 2017. [9][10][11]
This is a rare documented case in the history of female liberation in Saudi Arabia,[12][13] bearing many parallels to that of Princess Misha'al.
Madawi al-Rasheed, a visiting professor at the London School of Economics Middle East Centre, commented that Lasloom's case is "a classic... in which state and family cooperate against women in [the] KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]."[14] Reasons pushing Saudi women to flee their country are various, mostly stemming from a severe lack of women rights. Under the Saudi guardianship system adult women must obtain permission from a male guardian to travel abroad, marry, or be released from prison, and may be required to provide guardian consent to work or get health care. Furthermore, only recently were women given the right to drive. These restrictions last from birth until death, as women are, in the view of the Saudi state, permanent legal minors.[15]
Her case sparked global outrage with millions of sympathizers around the world.[16][17]
Events at Manila Airport[]
The role Philippines authorities played in Lasloom's return is unclear. As a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Convention against Torture, the Philippines has an obligation not to return anyone to a territory where they face persecution because of their sex or a real risk of torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.[18] While on a layover in the Philippines, Lasloom was allegedly detained by the Philippines authorities and held until male relatives from Saudi Arabia could arrive and return her to their home. A video posted on Twitter purports to be her testimony before being kidnapped and returned to Saudi Arabia. No face is shown in the video. In the testimony, she claimed that she would be killed upon return to her family.[19][20]
Lasloom stated in the self-recorded video that the Philippine authorities had held her at the Manila airport, and confiscated her passport. She is quoted to have said, "My name is Dina Ali and I'm a Saudi woman who fled Saudi Arabia to Australia to seek asylum. If my family come they will kill me. If I go back to Saudi Arabia I will be dead." The video has been circulated widely on social media.[21][22] A Canadian tourist allowed Lasloom to use her phone, and shared her witness account.[23][24][25]
Dina told the airport workers that she was in danger the entire time. Several times she cried hysterically to them that she needed help. They ignored her. They looked at her like she didn’t exist.[26]
A second video later surfaced, showing Lasloom arguing with a woman whom Lasloom identified to that tourist as a representative from the Kuwait Embassy: "He is not my father, he is not my father, he is not my father. You are not helping, you don't know him," referring to her uncle. Another witness published a video on YouTube where several security personnel are seen and Lasloom is heard screaming in the background from the airport in Manila.[26][27]
Calls by activists to the police department at Manila International airport were not answered on the night of Tuesday 11 April 2017. It is understood that the airport confirmed Lasloom's detention with an Amnesty International representative.[28] Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte began a three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia on 10 April, the same day Lasloom attempted to fly to Australia.[29]
Initially, Filipino officials denied any knowledge of Lasloom being detained.[30][31][32] However, they later confirmed her detention, but attempted to shift blame onto the Saudi government and airline: "As far as immigration is concerned, we did not hold any Saudi national."[33] The spokeswoman said that if Lasloom was a transiting passenger, then she would not have passed through immigration and it would have been up to the airline to decide what happened to her.[34]
The Filipino government has been widely condemned by many groups for their poor response to the situation,[35] including Human Rights Watch director Kenneth Roth, who described it as appalling.[36]
The only information provided to why Lasloom's transfer to Sydney was stopped by the Filipino airport authorities was that a very important person had called and told them to hold her documents, without further information.[37]
Forced boarding of flight to Riyadh[]
Saudi activists said Lasloom was forced onto a Saudi Arabia Airlines flight from Manila to Riyadh on the night of Tuesday 11 April 2017.[38][39] A Saudi feminist who obtained the video from an eyewitness reported that Lasloom was forced onto the plane by her two diplomat uncles and Filipino police.[18][40] Human Rights Watch interviewed four people linked to Lasloom's case, including two who said they had spoken to her at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport.[18]
Feminist activist Moudhi Aljohani, who claims to have talked to Lasloom on the phone,[41] is quoted in a report in The Australian saying Lasloom avoided a first attempt to force her onto a plane to Saudi Arabia "by screaming and physically resisting, attracting the attention of other passengers." A video of the incident was released on YouTube.[42][43]
An airline security official told Human Rights Watch that he saw two airline security officials and three apparently Middle Eastern men enter the hotel and go to her room, which he said was near the lobby. He said he heard her screaming and begging for help from her room, after which he saw them carry her out with duct tape on her mouth, feet, and hands. He said she was still struggling to break free when he saw them put her in a wheelchair and take her out of the hotel.[18]
A witness quoted in The Australian said she saw a woman being pulled out of a room with her mouth taped shut, and her body was wrapped in a sheet. This is assumed to have been done by her two uncles and a member of the Saudi Embassy. "They weren't Filipino. They looked Arab," another woman, who declined to give her name, told The Australian. A third witness claimed to have seen "A security officer and three middle eastern men doing this". She was later forced onto a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight, the pilots and crew of which were reportedly aware and supportive of Lasloom being returned to Riyadh against her will, siding heavily with her uncles.[44][18][45]
Despite conflicting reports at the time about whether or not Lasloom was in fact on the flight, passengers in route to Riyadh began reporting on social media that there was a hostage aboard, prompting the governments of Oman and Qatar to refuse the aircraft passage through their airspace. While only confirmed to confidential sources and not officially verified, this is supported by flight path records, which show an abrupt change in direction and trajectory to avoid the airspace of Oman and Qatar.[46][47][48]
Arrival at Riyadh[]
Police presence was heavy outside King Abdulaziz International Airport the night Lasloom arrived. Saudi campaigners reported that she was seen arriving in the country in a wheelchair, while multiple passengers exiting the airport told Reuters they had seen a woman being carried onto the plane screaming, before taking off in Manila, Philippines.[49][50]
A rare gathering of about 10 Saudi activists appeared in the arrivals area of the Riyadh airport around midnight on 12 April 2017, after a hashtag began circulating on social media urging people to "receive Dina at the airport." Two of them, Alaa Anazi, a 23-year-old medical student, and a 27-year-old male, were detained after approaching airport security about the case.[51][52] Anazi's sister confirmed that airport officials had told her Alaa had been sent to a police station in central Riyadh, but said she was unable to confirm her sister's whereabouts.[53]
Saudi-based journalist Vivien Nereim,[54] who was at the airport, said there were no signs of the young girl, but confirmed the Saudi Human Rights Commission was following the case. She did however collect testimonies from witnesses on the plane who described "a woman being carried on the flight screaming",[18] suggesting that she was brought onto the plane against her will, which is illegal in the Philippines according to the Republic Act 9208,[55] as this happened in the International zone, where Philippine law applies. Two other witnesses stated they heard her cry for help, but it was impossible to determine her condition because she was covered.[56][57][58]
The Saudi embassy in the Philippines confirmed that the citizen had returned to Saudi Arabia, adding that what had happened was a "family affair":[59]
The Embassy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the Republic of the Philippines confirms the incorrectness of what has been circulated on some social media platforms... what happened was a family matter and the citizen returned home with the family.[60]
The event brought to the forefront women's rights in Saudi Arabia and male guardianship laws.[61][62][63] While some social media users rushed to her aid,[64] others called for her to be killed for stepping out of line with Saudi patriarchal society.[18][65][2]
Whereabouts[]
Amid ongoing public outcry, Lasloom's current whereabouts remain unknown. Sources stated that she is held at the Correctional Facility for Women in Riyadh while further procedures are being taken by the authorities in her case. On 19 April 2017, a Saudi government official with knowledge of the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Bloomberg that she was being held in a detention facility for women aged under 30 as a precaution and does not face any charges, and authorities are trying to find "appropriate solutions" to allow her to live a normal life.[66][67]
Moudhi Aljohani said Lasloom's uncles hit her and told her they would kill her when they landed in Saudi Arabia. "It is most likely that she is not alive," Aljohani said in her emotional video. She criticized rights organizations for doing little to aid in the situation and then called on people not to be silent. Mohamed al-Maady from the government-led Human Rights Commission in Saudi Arabia said the organisation would be coordinating with the Saudi ministry of social development to gather information on the case.[68] No information was available in relation to her physical or mental wellbeing. She is at risk of legal sanctions under the charge of “disobedience” because of her attempt to escape from her guardian.[69]
Human Rights Watch called on Saudi Arabia to reveal whether Lasloom is with her family or is being held by the state at a shelter. "If held by the state, the authorities should disclose under what conditions she is being held, including whether she is at a shelter at her request and whether she has freedom of movement and ability to contact the outside world."[18][70][2]
Aftermath[]
Lasloom's story triggered protest outside Saudi embassies in several countries around the world, most notably by the Labour Party in Ireland.[71] The Labour Party also demanded to know if Ireland was among European UN members which voted Saudi Arabia onto the UN Commission on the Status of Women,[72] the Irish government responded by refusing to disclose how they voted.[73]
A campaign was also started by Human Rights Watch,[74] instructing social media users to tweet Saudi King Salman using the hashtag #SaveDinaAli, urging a royal pardon.
The case continues to receive widespread media coverage due to the extreme and legally questionable nature of Lasloom's extradition.
On 7 May 2017, Russia Today published an entire segment on the event.[75] The report came a day after United States President Donald Trump announced a foreign trip to Saudi Arabia,[76] highlighting increased economic and political ties with the kingdom, while a deep cultural divide remains.[77] A day earlier, a royal decree allowing women greater access to government services was passed.[78]
On 28 May 2017 BBC World Service aired a segment chronicling Lasloom's attempted escape.[79][80]
On 8 June 2017, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) organized a side event during the UN Human Rights Council's 35th session, in which Lasloom's case was a discussion topic.[81]
![]() | This section needs to be updated.(January 2019) |
Following reportage of Lasloom's story by Norwegian Public Broadcaster NRK, several parliamentarians, including Socialist Left Party Leader Audun Lysbakken and Abid Raja, requested foreign minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide take up the women's rights situation with Saudi Arabia. "This is an extreme form of gender apartheid. I would like to ask, if the Foreign Minister agrees, that Norway raise the matter with Saudi Arabia." said parliamentary representative Jan Bøhler.[82]
On 6 September 2018, Saudi Arabian sisters aged 18 and 20 fled their guardians while on a family vacation in Sri Lanka, and flew to Hong Kong, with the intention of seeking asylum in Australia. Their case made international headlines when their deadline for asylum passed in February 2019, during which time they cited fears of being returned to Saudi Arabia like Dina Ali Lasloom.[83][84][85][86]
On 4 February 2019, Dina's story and the stories of several women who fled Saudi Arabia were the subject of ABC News Australia's long-running documentary series Four Corners.[87][88][89][90]
See also[]
External links[]
- CBC The Passionate Eye - Breaking Free: Dina Ali Lasloom at the Airport
- France 2 - Envoyé spécial - Les fugitives
References[]
- ^ "#SaveDinaAli who is fleeing family persecution from Saudi Arabia and being arrested in the…". Medium. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Forcibly repatriated Saudi woman: 'My family will kill me'". Deutsche Welle. 16 April 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ "CNN Arabic - السعودية تعلن عودة "المواطنة دينا": ما حدث شأن عائلي". CNN Arabic (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ Reuters (12 April 2017). "Saudi Woman Seeking Asylum in Australia Returned to Saudi Arabia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman seeking asylum in Australia returned to Saudi Arabia". Reuters. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Tribune.com.pk (13 April 2017). "Saudi woman seeking asylum in Australia returned to Saudi Arabia". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Saudi Arabian Woman Who Tried to Flee Put in Protective Custody". Bloomberg.com. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ Nordland, Rod (21 April 2017). "Cellphones in Hand, Saudi Women Challenge Notions of Male Control". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "A Saudi woman seeking asylum in Australia has been 'kidnapped' and returned home by her family". The Independent. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Arab, The New. "Family 'kidnap' Saudi woman who fled for Australia". alaraby. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman Dina Ali, seeking asylum in Australia, forcibly returned to Riyadh - Gulf Business". Gulf Business. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "'If my family come, they will kill me': A Saudi woman's plea exposes risks women take to flee the country". National Post. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Dina Ali's Case Is Part Of A Bigger Cultural Problem In Saudi Arabia". Carbonated.TV. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman's fear: 'They will kill me'". Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Women Fleeing Has Become a Nightmare for Saudis - Mashreq Politics & Culture Journal". mpc-journal.org. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "#SaveDinaAli Emerges as Saudi Arabian Woman Detained for Flying Without Male Guardian". Observer. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ "A Saudi Woman's Plea for Help Exposes Risks Runaways Faceagency=Associated Press". The New York Times. 16 April 2017. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Fleeing Woman Returned to Saudi Arabia Against Her Will". Human Rights Watch. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ Wald, Ellen R. "The Case Of Dina Ali And Why Business Will Determine The Future For Women In Saudi Arabia". Forbes. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman's fear: 'They will kill me'". Rappler. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "[#SaveDinaAli] 'Si vuelvo me matan'". kaosenlared.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ Wald, Ellen R. "The Case Of Dina Ali And Why Business Will Determine The Future For Women In Saudi Arabia". Forbes. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Save Dina Ali". Snopes.com. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (30 July 2017). "For some Saudi women facing strict male authority and even abuse, there's only one answer: Run". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ Gupta, Manas Sen (16 April 2017). "Outrage As Saudi Arabia Forcibly Brings Back Woman Who Escaped Threat To Life In Country". TopYaps. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ "Why Women Are So Desperate to Escape Saudi Arabia". nypost.com. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ "Dina Ali was forced kicking and screaming onto a flight to Saudi Arabia. She hasn't been seen since". Mamamia. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Subscribe | theaustralian". theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ "Philippine and Saudi Leaders Discuss Labor, Anti-Narcoticsagency=Associated Press". The New York Times. 11 April 2017. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ Estatie, Lamia (12 April 2017). "Saudi woman seeking asylum 'forcibly' returned home". BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ "Amid hashtag campaign, BI says no Saudi detained at NAIA". philstar.com. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Immigration denies detaining Saudi woman at NAIA". GMA News Online. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ Santos, Jonathan de. "BI: Philippines had no jurisdiction over off-loaded Saudi national". philstar.com. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Woman's Fear 'They Will Kill Me'". NDTV.com. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi asylum seeker heading for Australia thwarted by Philippines". NewsComAu. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ "Kenneth Roth on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman's desperate claim after family kidnap her". The Australian.(subscription required)
- ^ "Saudi woman on way to Australia for asylum 'kidnapped' by family". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "They'll kill me if I go back: Woman fleeing Saudi forced onto plane at Manila airport". deccanchronicle.com/. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ Nawaz, Maajid (13 April 2017). "Saudi Woman Abducted at the Airport". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Khan, Deeyah (20 April 2017). "You are my only hope". sister-hood magazine. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ steve bob (15 April 2017), Saudi woman captured in airport, retrieved 16 April 2017
- ^ "Saudi woman who was forcibly taken back to Riyadh in 2017 has not been heard from since". meaww.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Woman Fleeing Saudi Arabia 'Detained At Airport And Forced To Return'….Photos". Gistmaster. 13 April 2017. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman seeking asylum in Australia returned to Saudi Arabia". Reuters. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "AlyaaGad AfhamTVأفهم on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ "(SV) Saudia #871 Flight Tracker". FlightStats. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "AlyaaGad AfhamTVأفهم on Twitter: "Pane turned around!!! What's going on?!!!!". 22 April 2017. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Saudi woman seeking asylum in Australia returned to Saudi Arabia | Zawya MENA Edition". Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman fleeing home gagged, dragged onto plane at Manila airport". asianage.com/. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Google Translate". translate.google.com. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ OKAZ_online@, «عكاظ» (الرياض) (13 April 2017). "ضبط شاب وفتاة صورا رجال الأمن بمطار الرياض". Okaz. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman Dina Ali, seeking asylum in Australia, forcibly returned to Riyadh - Gulf Business". Gulf Business. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Vivian Nereim (@viviannereim) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 17 April 2017.[failed verification]
- ^ Diaz, Ronald Echalas. "Republic Act No 9208 – An Act to Institute Policies to Eliminate Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, Establishing the Necessary Institutional Mechanisms for the Protection ad Support of Trafficked Persons, Providing Penalties for Its Violations, and for Other". chanrobles.com. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman seeking Aust asylum back home". Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman seeking asylum in Australia returned to Saudi Arabia". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman seeking asylum in Australia returned to Saudi Arabia". Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi woman escaping family stopped in PH; brought back to Saudi". Kicker Daily News. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "#SaveDinaAli: Activists Call for Release of Saudi Woman Forcibly Sent Back to the Kingdom · Global Voices". Global Voices. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Boxed In". Human Rights Watch. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ "#SaveDinaAli: Why We Need to Talk About Honor Killings | Scoop Empire". scoopempire.com. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Pulse. "In Saudi Arabia: Saudi woman"s fear: "They will kill me"". Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "A Saudi woman was returned to her abusive family despite Twitter outrage". StepFeed. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Woman, Detained In Philippines, May Be Killed On Her Return". Carbonated.TV. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Arabian Woman Who Tried to Flee Put in Protective Custody". Bloomberg.com. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia runs a huge, sinister online database of women that men use to track them and stop them running away". thisisinsider.com. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Resistance, solidarity and Dina Ali - sister-hood magazine. A Fuuse production by Deeyah Khan". sister-hood magazine. A Fuuse production by Deeyah Khan. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia: Free Dina Ali Lasloom and repeal the Guardianship System". gc4hr.org. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ Feeds, PTI (14 April 2017). "Saudi woman's fear: 'They will kill me'". India.com. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Ivana Bacik on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ "The Labour Party on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ "Irish Coverage: U.N. elects Saudi Arabia to Women's Rights Commission - UN Watch". UN Watch. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ "Urge Saudi Leader to Protect Dina Ali Lasloom". Human Rights Watch. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ RT America (5 May 2017), Saudi Arabia doesn't want women to flee & speak out ‒ activist, retrieved 5 May 2017
- ^ Jim Acosta, Dan Merica and Jake Tapper. "Trump to visit the Vatican, Israel and Saudi Arabia on first foreign trip". CNN. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ Wald, Ellen R. "The Case Of Dina Ali And Why Business Will Determine The Future For Women In Saudi Arabia". Forbes. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ "Cautious welcome to Saudi decree over guardian system". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ "Travelling Without Male Consent, BBC Trending - BBC World Service". BBC. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "Flying without a man: The mysterious case of Dina Ali". BBC News. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- ^ "ADHRB at HRC35: Event Summary on Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia - Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain". Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ^ "Et islamistisk familieanliggende". Dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). 18 April 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Hilary Whiteman, with Ivan Watson and Sandi Sidhu. "Desperate and alone, Saudi sisters risk everything to flee oppression". CNN. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ "Saudi sisters pass deportation deadline". 28 February 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ Kuo, Lily (28 February 2019). "Saudi sisters hiding in Hong Kong face imminent deportation". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ "Saudi Sisters Gain Freedom With Emergency Visas". Time. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ ABC News (Australia), Women are trying to escape Saudi Arabia, but not all of them make it | Four Corners, retrieved 4 February 2019
- ^ McNeill, Sophie; Brigid; ersen; Piper, Georgina (4 February 2019). "Shahad stole her family's passports while they slept and fled for her life". ABC News. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Escape From Saudi, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 4 February 2019, retrieved 5 February 2019
- ^ Samios, Zoe (5 February 2019). "ABC's Four Corners returns with 561,000 metro viewers for Saudi women special". Mumbrella. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- 1993 births
- 2010s missing person cases
- Human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia
- Human rights abuses in the Philippines
- Kidnapped people
- Kidnapping in the Philippines
- Missing person cases in Saudi Arabia
- Missing person cases in the Philippines
- Philippines–Saudi Arabia relations
- Saudi Arabian activists
- Saudi Arabian feminists
- Saudi Arabian women
- Violence against women in Saudi Arabia
- Women's rights in Saudi Arabia