Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing it does not condemn Hamas nor grant "Israel" the right to “self-defense.”
Israeli occupation forces issue a new bombing threat against civilian buildings in the Southern Lebanese towns of Borj Qalaouiye and Chehabiyeh.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Extending the snapback mechanism deadline will test how independent Europeans truly are from the US.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Activating the snapback mechanism will nullify the Cairo Agreement, shut the door on cooperation between the IAEA and Tehran, and bar inspections.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: The diplomatic window remains open, but signs of activating the snapback sanctions mechanism on Iran are increasing.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Although the Cairo Agreement meets an important part of European demands, they have begun speaking of new conditions in recent communications.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: European countries show no independence in their stance toward Iran during the talks.
Israeli occupation forces issued bombing threats to bomb civilian buildings in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Person behind shooting operation at Allenby Crossing is a Jordanian Army soldier.
Israeli media citing Emergency Services: Both wounded in Allenby shooting operation now dead.

Sisters who fled Saudi Arabia as teens to Australia found dead

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 20 Jun 2022 14:08
  • 5 Shares
4 Min Read

Two sisters, who fled Saudi Arabia as adolescents in search of a safe haven in Australia, were discovered dead in "suspicious" circumstances in a south-west Sydney apartment.

  • x
  • Saudi sisters who fled as teens to Australia found dead in apartment
    Saudi sisters who fled as teens to Australia found dead in apartment

Two sisters were discovered dead in a south-west Sydney flat under "suspicious" circumstances. The women left Saudi Arabia as adolescents to seek refuge in Australia.

Officers doing a welfare check discovered the ladies, aged 23 and 24, in separate beds of their first-floor Canterbury flat on June 7 after the couple failed to pay rent for four weeks and mail began to pile up outside their door.

Horrific news. Two sisters, aged 23 & 24, found dead in a Sydney unit were reportedly Saudi asylum seekershttps://t.co/gtlLAlD2K2

— Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) June 18, 2022

The remains of the sisters had been there for "some time", according to police, and showed "no obvious signs of injury."

Authorities are treating their deaths as "suspicious", with the Homicide Squad investigating.

According to the Daily Mail Australia, the sisters escaped Saudi Arabia without their families in 2017, when they were 18 and 19, and NSW Police are now attempting to identify their relatives.

Two sisters were found "decaying" in their apartment near Sydney as it's revealed they had fled Saudi Arabia in 2017 as teens for the safety of Australia https://t.co/9EjNPSZs2D pic.twitter.com/Xi6vM9kBE2

— Andreas Harsono (@andreasharsono) June 18, 2022

The women had been working with a refugee service for five years, assisting foreign nationals fleeing persecution and seeking asylum.

Police were still awaiting autopsy findings on Friday and have yet to locate and contact the women's families in the Middle East in order to properly identify the dead.

According to Daily Mail Australia, the sisters were not in frequent communication with their families back home.

In January 2019, the elder sister obtained an AVO against a 28-year-old guy, according to the Daily Mail Australia. It is unclear whether the man was a relative or not. Later, the AVO was withdrawn and dismissed.

After the owner of their apartment issued several notices to the women for overdue rent, police showed up at their apartment to hand them an eviction notice when they discovered they had been killed.

The ladies began visiting the adjoining service station in 2020, shortly before the Covid epidemic, and were regulars until two months ago, when they stopped going by. They described the duo, one brunette and one blonde, as "quiet" but "very friendly", and stated that they would only respond to questions.

Related News

Man rams Russian consulate gate in Sydney

Iran vows to reciprocate after Australia expels envoy

The Daily Mail Australia has also reached out to the Saudi Consulate General for comment.

According to a 2019 Four Corners story, over 80 Saudi Arabian women attempted to seek refuge in Australia in recent years.

Read more: KSA hides abuses in migrant centers amid arrests campaign

Many of them were escaping Saudi Arabia's male guardianship rules, which empower their spouses, fathers, siblings, uncles, and sons to manage their lives, according to the research.

Numerous human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch have commented on Saudi Arabia's horrendous slate of human rights abuses, from torture reports to murdering journalists and executing dissidents.

Read more: Saudi Arabia carries out mass execution of 81 people

The women were characterized as "timid" in one of the inspections and refused to let anyone into the residence.

However, following protestations from a concerned party, the sisters reluctantly agreed to the check but spent it huddled together in the far corner of the apartment.

As they answered simple questions about their well-being, one sat down and the other cowered behind her.

According to a source, "They were standoffish and didn't really want to talk."

According to a source, the initial check was made by police in March, with authorities departing after the women maintained they were OK.

In a separate incident months ago, the sisters' black car was keyed and hauled away from their residence last week, maybe suggesting an act of vengeance.

In 2018, a similar story surfaced in the United States. Two sisters were found dead in the Hudson River, duct-taped together. The sisters were also seeking asylum in the US from Saudi Arabia.

In 2019, two Saudi sisters escaping Saudi Arabia were left stranded in Hong Kong on their way to Australia. At the time, the sisters stated that they feared for their life.

  • Sydney
  • Australia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Human Rights

Most Read

Why is Choose Love using a firm with British and US intelligence connections to run a pro-Palestine musical event? (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Together for Palestine: Troubling questions about the organisers of this huge event

  • Opinion
  • 17 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025
UKLFI’s latest faux pas, like "Israel’s" recent failed attempt at regime change in Iran, is unambiguously indicative of a flailing entity on the verge of extinction. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Zionist lawfare operation facing collapse?

  • Opinion
  • 13 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A Hezbollah supporter who lost his sight in a pager attack carried out by "Israel" on Sept. 17, 2024, covers his eyes with a red headband inscribed with the name "Hussein" during Ashoura, July 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'We Have Recovered': Lebanon marks 1st anniversary of Pager Attack

The Arab neighborhood of El Za'im, on the outskirts of east Occupied Al-Quds in the West Bank, near where Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestine

'Israel’s' deliberate policies drive West Bank economy toward collapse

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Politics

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll
US & Canada

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS