Canadian woman held against her will in Saudi Arabia by her husband --
"under Saudi law, she is his property"
Canada intervenes in Saudi marital dispute
Canwest NewsMONTREAL — A high-level representative of the federal government has met with Nathalie Morin, a 24-year-old Quebec woman who claims she is being held against her will in Saudi Arabia.
Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, met with Morin and her Saudi husband, Abdallah Ramthi Al-Bishi, in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 22 to mediate in the couple’s dispute, a Foreign Affairs spokesperson told Canwest News Service last night.
He could not say what the next step might be. Ottawa has said in the past that Canadians in Saudi Arabia are subject to its laws. Morin met Al-Bishi in Montreal when she was 17 and when he was a Concordia University student.
The couple has three children, including one born in Canada.
Morin’s mother has said her daughter is unable to leave because, under Saudi law, she is his property because she is the mother of his children.
Montreal Gazette