[ 2011-06-06 ]

Activists across the globe rallied in support of Iman al Obeidi after she narrated her ordeal [Gallo/Getty]

Libyan 'rape victim' heads to US for refuge
A Libyan woman who claimed she was raped by troops
loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, and
found refuge in Qatar only to be deported to Libya
soon after, is on her way to the United States,
her sister has said.

Marwa al-Obeidi said her sister Iman was flown out
of Benghazi, a stronghold of Libyan rebels, early
on Sunday morning.

It was not immediately known where she was going
in the United States.

In gray pajamas and sitting with her mother in a
cramped hotel room in Benghazi, Marwa al-Obeidi
said she had spent the day crying because it was
hard to see her sister leave, but that she felt
this trip was best for her.

"We just want a chance for her to be treated
psychologically and to rest. My sister has just
been through so much," she told the Associated
Press news agency.

It appeared difficult for Aisha bin Ismail, their
mother, to speak about her daughter. She turned
her head away to take a breath and hold back tears
as she described Iman's last few weeks.

"Iman locked herself in her room in Doha and
refused to leave the house. She would get
nightmares and fall off the bed," she told AP.

Rape claim

In March, al-Obeidi rushed into Tripoli's Rixos
Hotel where all foreign correspondents stay while
covering the part of Libya under Gaddafi's
control.

She shouted out her story of being stopped at a
checkpoint, dragged away and gang-raped by
soldiers.

As she spoke and reporters recorded her words,
government minders, whose job is to escort
reporters around the city, jumped on her and
dragged her away.

She disappeared for several days, until she
resurfaced first in Tunisia, and then in Qatar.

She was rarely heard from until Thursday, when she
was suddenly deported from Qatar and ended up in
Benghazi, reportedly suffering from bruises to her
body.

The Qatari government offered no explanation and
did not respond to calls.

Al-Obeidi has said she was targeted by Gaddafi's
troops because she is from Benghazi, the rebel
stronghold.

Her claims regarding her assault could not be
independently verified.

Happy for her

The US state department had expressed concern for
al-Obeidi's safety after she was deported from
Qatar.

A UN human rights body said her deportation was a
violation of international law because she was a
recognised refugee.

Libyan authorities have alternately labelled
al-Obeidi a drunk, a prostitute and a thief.

Marwa al-Obeidi maintained that Qatar was friendly
with the family until the last few hours before
deportation.

She said that Qatari authorities gave the family
five hours notice to get on a military plane and
leave Doha.

"Iman wanted to travel directly to America from
Qatar, but for some logistical reasons Qatar
wouldn't allow it. That's when they didn't treat
us very nicely," she said.

Marwa al-Obeidi said Iman's main priority in the
US would be to receive psychological treatment and
to continue her studies.

"I am sure they will greet her with such warmth
and kindness," she said.

"We are happy for her."

Source - Aljazeera.com

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