21 Facts About Rahaf Mohammed

Rahaf Mohammed is a Saudi woman best known for her escape from her Saudi family and her appeals for asylum.

Rahaf Mohammed was detained by Thai authorities on 5 January 2019 while in transit through an airport in Bangkok, en route from Kuwait to Australia.

Rahaf Mohammed had intended to claim asylum in Australia and escape her family who she says abused her and threatened to kill her for, among other reasons, leaving Islam, an act that is a capital offence under Saudi law.

Rahaf Mohammed's father is the town governor of al-Sulaimi in the Ha'il Region.

Rahaf Mohammed has claimed that her family had locked her up for months, subjecting her to physical and psychological abuse.

Rahaf Mohammed said that her cousin threatened to kill her because she no longer follows Islam.

Rahaf Mohammed complained of restrictions placed on her as a child, including not being allowed to leave the house without a male guardian.

Rahaf Mohammed intended to continue on another flight to seek asylum in Australia.

Rahaf Mohammed left with her passport and did not return.

Rahaf Mohammed never intended to leave the airport's transit area and therefore did not require a Thai visa.

Rahaf Mohammed was detained by Thai authorities at the Miracle Transit Hotel within the airport.

Rahaf Mohammed posted about the situation on Twitter, saying that she had renounced Islam and was concerned that she could be murdered by her family if deported to Saudi Arabia.

Rahaf Mohammed said she had barricaded herself in her hotel room, was refusing to exit until she met with UN representatives, claimed refugee status, and implored embassy officials of various Western nations to assist her in seeking asylum.

Rahaf Mohammed was scheduled to be forcibly repatriated on a flight to Kuwait on 7 January 2019.

Rahaf Mohammed barricaded her room to block entry, while at times live-streaming airport staff trying to get her to leave the room.

Rahaf Mohammed revealed in a later interview that she wrote a goodbye letter, having planned to commit suicide if she was deported to Saudi Arabia.

Rahaf Mohammed subsequently left the airport in the care of the agency, which later granted her refugee status and asked the Australian government to consider granting her asylum.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton stated in a radio interview with journalists that Rahaf Mohammed seemed to be safe in Thailand.

On 11 January 2019, Rahaf Mohammed flew to Toronto via Seoul, having been granted asylum by Canada, as a "resettled refugee".

Rahaf Mohammed was greeted at Toronto Pearson International Airport by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland.

Rahaf Mohammed's case has been compared to those of Dina Ali Lasloom and Hakeem al-Araibi.