Two Saudi sisters, who say they fled their own country because of “oppression,” have applied for asylum in Georgia but still feared they could be reached by their family and forced back to Saudi Arabia.
The sisters, Wafa al-Subaie, 25, and Maha al-Subaie, 28, were offered assistance and protection by the Georgian government on April 18 after they plead for help via Twitter. They are currently being held in a shelter in a secret location, Georgian authorities say.
However, the sisters told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on April 19 that they would rather move to another country where Saudi citizens cannot enter without a visa.
The sisters told RFE/RL on April 18 that they chose to come Georgia only because Saudis don’t need entry visas to go to the country.
“We don’t know anybody in Georgia, we just decided to come here because there is a visa-free regime...we didn’t have any other option,” the sisters said, adding that they arrived in Georgia from Turkey.
The sisters had made their case for international help on Twitter under the account @GeorgiaSisters, posting video appeals and messages seeking “protection” from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
In one message, one of the women said: “We fled oppression from our family.” She claims that her “father and brothers arrived in Georgia and they are looking for us.”
There were no immediate comments from the women’s family.
This is the latest case of Saudi women fleeing the ultraconservative Islamic kingdom, where women need the permission of their male guardian if they want to work, marry, or travel.
In January, a Saudi teen holed up in a Thai airport hotel to escape her family and won asylum in Canada.
Runaway Saudi Sisters Apply For Asylum In Georgia
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Belarusian Prankster Dupes Russian Teachers Into Wearing Tinfoil Hats To Ward Off 'Foreign Enemies'
2Kosovo-Romania Match Abandoned After Kosovar Players Leave Field Complaining Of 'Racism'
3How Does Marco Rubio, Trump's Pick For Secretary Of State, See The World?
4Ukraine Live Briefing: All-Out Assault On Kupyansk
5Russian Forces Reportedly Start All-Out Assault On Key Ukrainian City Of Kupyansk
6How The Caspian Sea Became A Battlefield
7Anti-War Russian Chef Found Dead In Belgrade
8Peace Talks Brewing, Russia And Ukraine Jockey For Advantage -- On And Off The Battlefield
9A 'Turn To The Right': Donald Trump And The Rise Of Populist Leaders
10With U.S. Ties In The Balance, Kallas Seeks Bold EU Stance On Russia And China
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
