Woman in Libya Raped Then Sued?
NEWBRUNSWICK, N.J. -The men of Col. Muammar el-Qdaffi’s militia, who were accused of gang raping Eman al-Obeidi, have now filed a civil case against her. The men, one of them happening to be the son of a high-ranking Libyan official, were offended by al-Obeidi’s accusations and have decided to sue her over it.
The incident started when Eman al-Obeidi approached foreign journalist in a Tripoli hotel about her rape. A scuffle broke out between the journalists, al-Obeidi, Libyan government security personnel, and hotel staff.
Since reports have surfaced, the government spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, has depicted al-Obeidi in multiple lights. He has described her as a “drunk” and mentally ill in the beginning, and then redeemed her as sane and sober, and by Sunday the spokesman rested on “prostitute” and “thief.”
Al-Obeidi has not returned home since being taken into custody by Col. Qaddafi’s men right after the event on Saturday. Since then Ibrahim has told press that Eman al-Obeidi has dropped her rape charges because of her own refusal to take a medical examination. He also informed the public that al-Obeidi would be able to speak on the manner later on in the week.
Her family has stood by her side throughout the entire ordeal. They went on Al-Jazeera TV and revealed that al-Obeidi is a lawyer who is seeking a post-graduate degree. They also mentioned that al-Obeidi was previously taken into custody by el-Qaddafi’s troops after marching in an anti-government protest.
Rebels in Benghazi have held rallies in support of al-Obeidi’s courage and Amnesty International has stepped in and demanded that el-Qaddafi reveal where Eman al-Obeidi is and release her.