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A lesbian couple who fled Saudi Arabia because they feared the death penalty have declared their love for each other on TV.

The two women, who now live in London, were forced to keep their relationship a secret in their home country - where under sharia law, same-sex relationships can be punishable by death.

Now free to love each other, they gave a moving interview to the Arabic-language TV show 'Jaafar Talk' which airs on the DW channel, during a Valentine's Day special.

Using 'Fad' and 'Nanz' as aliases, as the segment includes images of the pair in Saudi Arabia, they revealed how they fell in love after meeting on Snapchat.

They managed to keep their relationship a secret until Nanz, who says she discovered her sexuality in her early teens, began to attract suspicion from relatives because she kept knocking back potential suitors.

(Image: CEN/@7201fn)

The couple left Saudi Arabia when travel restrictions for women were lifted in August 2018 and were granted asylum in the UK.

During the interview they opened up about what it is like to be different in a country where, according to Saudi Arabia's security agency, homosexual relations can be punishable by death.

(Image: CEN/@7201fn)

When they finally did open up about their relationship on social media upon reaching safety, Nanz's relatives promptly cut off all ties with her.

But the happy couple are said to be adapting well to their new surroundings and freedom to love each other without fear of death.

The interview has attracted a number of supportive comments, with Netizen 'AysarIraq' saying: "Everyone should be free to do what they want."

'Tangiroustom' wrote: "Their bodies and emotions are none of our business. They get to enjoy freedoms granted to them by the universal declaration of human rights thanks to civilised countries that grant them protection."

However, they also faced backlash with 'Mays9325' saying: "In the end, this is their choice, but why do they have to be on TV? I don't think that is necessary."