Channel 4, Fatima Manji, 28
March 2014
"He
should be ashamed to meet a leader that has four grown women locked up" -
the message from two Saudi princesses to President Obama as he meets with their
father, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
In an
exclusive on-camera interview with Channel 4 News, we talk to Princesses Sahar
and Jawaher, who say they have been held under effective house arrest, by their
father, the king, for more than a decade.
Princesses
Sahar and Jawaher are the daughters of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. They say
they have been held in the royal compound in Jeddah for the last 13 years, and
their sisters Maha and Hala are also being held in separate villas. They claim
they are not allowed to travel or leave their home.
If he does that to his own children, how do you think the rest of the country is? - Princess Jawaher
Princesses
Sahar and Jawaher claim they have little communication outside of their gates -
"no-one is allowed in or out." They say the internet is their only
window onto the world. Via Skype, they tell Channel 4 News they are "cut
off, isolated... and alone" and that "our father, the king, is
responsible."
Their
mother Alanoud Al Fayez, who is divorced from the king, first went public with
their story two weeks ago, giving her first broadcast interview to Channel 4 News.
Since that interview was broadcast, the princesses say restrictions on them
have been tightened and they are no longer even allowed to make trips with
armed guards for food, as they were previously.
They say
food is now becoming scarce in their home, that they are desperate for the
world to listen to their story and for someone to help.
Their only
hope is that our report will make a difference, and that is why they wanted to
broadcast this interview. Princess Sahar says: "This is a risk we're
taking, we're happy to do it, we understand full well the repercussions, but we
don't know what's going to happen."
Princess
Sahar said to reporter Fatima Manji "why are we, grown women, held against
our will? I believe we are now hostages."
Her sister,
Princess Jawaher, said: "If he does that to his own children, how do you
think the rest of the country is?"
The Saudi
embassy in London has so far only responded to these claims by saying
"this is a private matter".
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