First, she wanted a divorce from a husband whom she described as abusive. Then she wanted to secure custody of her 4-year-old daughter, Zeina. Then she wanted a court order to receive child support from her ex-husband, a businessman. But as an American woman living in Saudi Arabia, Ms. Vierra has navigated a punishing legal maze ever since she first asked her Saudi ex-husband for a divorce in 2017, then opened custody proceedings last November. “It’s like 10,000 times worse here because so much is at risk for women when they go to court,” Ms. Vierra said, near tears, in an interview on Sunday.

Source: International New York Times July 14, 2019 20:48 UTC