pmaitra
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Saudi Arabia's Princess Sara claims asylum in the UK
Saudi Arabia's Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz
Saudi Arabia's Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz
Saudi Arabia's Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz is claiming political asylum in the UK over fears for her safety back home. She tells Hugh Miles and Robert Mendick why she doesn't want to return.
Princess Sara, 38, accuses senior Saudi officials of plotting to kidnap her and smuggle her back to Riyadh, having subjected her to a "well orchestrated and malicious campaign of persecution".
"They called me the little Barbie as I was like this cute little girl who had everything," recalled Princess Sara of her childhood. "But my British nanny brought me up in a very strict manner.
"My branch of the family was always different from the rest of Al Saud – open, controversial and diverse. We celebrate Christmas."
Wearing a V-neck sweater, leggings and running shoes, Princess Sara dresses like any Westerner and refuses to wear a veil. Her nails are bright red and her hair is in a plait because she has not had time to wash it before an interview that has taken many days – and several false starts – to organise.
Two years after she moved to the UK her passport expired, and the Saudi embassy refused to issue a new one. She is threatened with deportation because her visa has also run out. A mystery backer gives her a regular income.
A previous attempt to entice her home was a disaster: as she met a Saudi official at the Dorchester Hotel in February last year, her security detail became convinced of a possible kidnapping risk. Their surveillance notes will be handed to the Home Office.
Source: Saudi Arabia's Princess Sara claims asylum in the UK - TelegraphYet she does not wish to challenge King Abdullah's authority, nor that of Sharia. "I am a threat because I am a reformer from within. My way is the modern Islamic way," she said.