Two Saudi sisters trapped in Hong Kong say chronic physical abuse by male family members prompted them to flee the kingdom, where they fear they will be forcibly returned.
The two are the latest example of Saudi women trying to escape from the ultra-conservative kingdom who find themselves dodging officials and angry family.
The women, aged 20 and 18, were marooned after Saudi consular officials allegedly intercepted them during a stopover at Hong Kong’s airport and revoked their passports.
They have adopted the aliases Reem and Rawan, and have described an unhappy upbringing in a middle-class Riyadh household.
They said they were beaten by their father when they were young and by their brothers when they got older for things such as waking up late for prayer.
“They started to beat me ... My father didn’t really stop them. He thinks that this is what makes them men,” Reem said. [The Guardian] Read more
