Saudi sisters stranded in Hong Kong after fleeing family granted emergency humanitarian visas to stay in undisclosed third country
- Law firm announces on Monday evening that Reem, 20, and Rawan, 18, left Hong Kong last week
- Pair are now beginning their lives as free young women and leading lives as equal human beings, says lawyer
Two sisters who fled Saudi Arabia and their family have been granted emergency humanitarian visas to stay in an undisclosed third country after being stranded in Hong Kong for more than six months.
The law firm of Michael Vidler, who was assisting the pair, announced on Monday evening that Reem, 20, and Rawan, 18, left Hong Kong last week.
“We are thrilled that our story has a happy ending and that we have found our way to safety to restart our lives free of violence and oppression,” the pair said in a statement.
“We wish for our story to offer hope to others who face similar situations. We want to say loud and clear to the Saudi authorities and other regimes which treat women unequally: never underestimate the strength of brave women.”
Reem and Rawan (not their real names) fled to Hong Kong in September from a family holiday in Sri Lanka and were planning to fly on to Australia when, they say, they escaped a kidnap attempt orchestrated by the Saudi consulate at Hong Kong International Airport.