13 January
An 18-year-old Saudi woman who escaped what she said was abuse by her family has arrived in Canada, where she is offered asylum.
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun ran away when she was with her family on a trip to Kuwait. She flew to Bangkok where she barricaded herself inside an airport hotel room.
She said she wanted to avoid a forced marriage and that she would fear for her life if she returned to Saudi Arabia.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees granted her refugee status.
Canada accepted a UN request to take Qunun in.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland welcomed her at the airport near Toronto on Saturday.
Freeland called Qunun "a brave new Canadian" and said that she is pleased to welcome her to her new home.
The relationship between Canada and Saudi Arabia has been strained since last August, when Freeland wrote on Twitter a call for Saudi Arabia to release human rights activists.
Saudi Arabia responded to the criticism by expelling Canada's ambassador to Riyadh.
The kingdom has not yet responded to the recent case.—NHK
