Iman al-Obeidi
Iman al-Obeidi (born circa 1982) is a former Libyan postgraduate law student who received worldwide media attention during the 2011 Attacks on Libya when she burst into the restaurant of the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli and told the international press corps there that Libyan troops had beaten and gang-raped her. Her public statement challenged both the Gaddafi government and the taboo against discussing sex crimes in Libya.[1][2]
Government security forces dragged her out of the hotel to an unknown destination, and attacked journalists who tried to help her. Government representatives claimed she was drunk, mentally ill, a prostitute, and a thief, and said she would be charged with slander.[3] The Washington Post described her as a "symbol of defiance against Gaddafi."[4]
She was released from government detention after three days, and was interviewed several times by Libya TV — an opposition satellite channel — and by CNN, during which she offered graphic details of her rape and subsequent detention by government officials.[5]
- For background, see "Alleged Libyan rape victim no longer in government custody", CNN, April 4, 2011.
- For the Libya TV interview, see
{{URL|example.com|optional display text}} - That she was, in effect, under house arrest, see Kirkpatrick, David. "After Rape Report in Libya, Woman Sees Benefit in Publicity", The New York Times, April 4, 2011.
- For CNN update, see "Video: 'Please do not forget me,' says Al-Obeidy", CNN, April 11, 2011.</ref> She fled Libya with a defecting military officer, who helped her cross into Tunisia, dressed in a Berber tribal costume to hide her identity. She was initially offered protection by European diplomats in Qatar[6][7] and applied for refugee status there. After initially protecting her, in early June 2011 Qatar forcibly deported her back to Libya.[8] On 4 June 2011, she was granted asylum in the United States with the help of Hillary Clinton.[9]
Iman al-Obeidi eventually settled in Colorado under the name Eman Ali.[10][11][12][13] However, she was subsequently charged with a number of violent offences, including a February 2014 assault on two patrons at a downtown bar in Boulder, Colorado for which she was convicted in May 2015 of a Class 4 felony.
References
- ↑ Jacinto, Leela "Rape of Iman Al-Obaidi Is Rape of Libya by Qadhafi and his Thugs", Al-Jazeera, April 3, 2011.
- ↑ For her postgraduate law studies, see "Parents of Libyan woman who claimed rape tell TV she's held hostage at Gadhafi's compound", Associated Press, March 28, 2011.
- ↑ "Lone, brave woman exposes truth of Libya", The Financial Times, March 28, 2011.
- ↑ Tara and Sly, Liz. "Libyan government offered money to appease Iman al-Obaidi, woman in rape-claim case, mother says", The Washington Post, March 27, 2011.
- ↑ For the CNN interview, see Cooper, Anderson. "Alleged Libyan rape victim speaks out", AC360, CNN, April 4, 2011.
- ↑ Robertson, Nic. "Alleged rape victim flees Libya", CNN, May 8, 2011.
- ↑ Andrew Gilligan "Libyan rape victim escapes to Tunisia with defecting military officer", The Daily Telegraph, May 9, 2011.
- ↑ "Alleged Libyan rape victim deported from Qatar back to Libya", CNN, June 2, 2011.
- ↑ "WebCite query result"; accessed June 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Libyan refugee arrested after failing to appear in court on Boulder case". Daily Camera. Retrieved 3 September 2015.Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "Scribunto").
- ↑ "Libyan refugee Iman al-Obeidi convicted in Boulder assault case". The Denver Post. Retrieved 3 September 2015.Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "Scribunto").
- ↑ "Libyan political refugee living in Boulder charged with assault arrested again". 7NEWS. Retrieved 3 September 2015.Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "Scribunto").
- ↑ Moni Basu, CNN (2 September 2015). "Libyan symbol of freedom facing 6 years behind bars - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 3 September 2015.Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "Scribunto").
