Eman Al-Obeidy, Alleged Rape Victim, Leaves Libya

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Eman Al-Obeidy, Alleged Rape Victim, Leaves Libya

In an audio interview with Anderson Cooper last month, al-Obeidy described how she was abducted at a government checkpoint and held for days. She said that she was bound, beaten, had alcohol poured over her eyes, and was gang raped repeatedly. She said one of the soldiers sodomized her with his Kalishnikov. A government spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, said the men accused by al-Obeidy planned to sue her.

On Thursday, al-Obeidy fled Libya and crossed into Tunisia with the help of a defecting military officer and his family. According to CNN, al-Obeidy left Tripoli in a military car, hidden under a head cover. Although the car was stopped at various checkpoints, al-Obeidy crossed the Dahibah border disguised "in the local manner" and using a refugee document. European diplomats reportedly escorted her to Tunis. While she has called relatives in Egypt, she has yet to hear back from them. CNN reports:

In the meantime, Eman al-Obeidy says she continues to fear for her life, and is hoping to receive protection from a Western government.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/08/eman-al-obeidy-rape-victim-libya_n_859204.html