HONG KONG — Two Saudi sisters marooned in Hong Kong after fleeing their family appealed to authorities not to deport them while they seek sanctuary in…
HONG KONG — Two Saudi sisters marooned in Hong Kong after fleeing their family appealed to authorities not to deport them while they seek sanctuary in a third country as the clock ticked down Thursday on their permission to stay.
The siblings are the latest example of Saudi women escaping the ultra-conservative kingdom only to find themselves stranded in foreign cities and making public appeals for their safety.
The young women, aged 20 and 18, said they made a break from an abusive family during a holiday in Sri Lanka last September, with the intention of heading for Australia.
But they only made it as far as Hong Kong.
The two women — who use the aliases Reem and Rawan — said they were intercepted by Saudi consular officials at Hong Kong’s airport and had their air tickets canceled.
