Teenaged Saudi asylum seeker Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun expected in Canada
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes surprise announcement welcome the young woman
- Qunun had harnessed the power of Twitter to stave off deportation from Thailand
Trudeau’s surprise announcement came after officials had heavily hinted that she was bound for Australia.
Canada has been unequivocal that we’ll stand up for human rights and women’s rights around the world
“Canada has been unequivocal that we’ll stand up for human rights and women’s rights around the world,” Trudeau said. “When the United Nations made a request of us that we grant al-Qunun’s asylum, we accepted.”
The move is sure to further strain Canada’s relations with the kingdom; they went sideways last August over Ottawa’s rights criticism of Saudi Arabia, prompting Riyadh to expel the Canadian ambassador and sever all trade and investment ties in protest.
Canada also sparked fury in Riyadh by demanding the “immediate release” of jailed rights campaigners, including Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi, whose family lives in Quebec.