Advocacy group Human Rights Watch has leapt to the cause of a Saudi woman who claims to be a victim of parental abuse.
The woman, who identifies herself as Amna Al-Juaid, has posted a series of videos in which she claims to have been forced into marrying her cousin, that her father abused her and her uncle threatened to kill her.
The woman says she’s also been penalised by authorities for fleeing the family home.
“I believe something is going to happen to me very soon [by] my father,” she says in a recent clip.
“I have no protection... any kind of protection from any members of my family or the government.
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“I just want to feel safe and secure... And I want to live with dignity,” she adds.
“I’m not asking for more, I’m just asking for my rights.”
The woman said authorities had offered to “imprison” her in a woman’s shelter.
“I know my life’s going to end if I go to that place – which is a prison.
“That wasn’t really a choice for me.”
The hashtag #saveamna has been picked up by Saudi activists rallying to the woman’s cause. Some are demanding to know what has happened to her.
