Victim claims Gaddafi's militia humiliated and filmed her ordeal
Libya says it has released a woman who burst into a Tripoli hotel at the weekend to tell foreign journalists she had been raped by members of a government militia.
Iman al-Obeidi was taken away by security guards after going to the Rixos hotel on Saturday, where foreign journalists have been staying at the invitation of the Libyan government in the Libyan capital.
Women in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, mainly women, took to the streets to highlight her plight, waving monarchy-era flags. "Iman, you are not alone," one placard read. Two Facebook groups have been set up, gathering thousands of supporters.
A government spokesman said Obeidi was now with her sister in Tripoli, and that four men had been interrogated in connection with the case, including the son of a high-ranking police officer.
The spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, also alleged that Obeidi was a prostitute who had refused a medical examination. The regime is seemingly attempting to discredit her, having previously alleged that she is mentally unstable.
A visibly distraught Obeidi had directly addressed foreign journalists, showing them a slash and bruises on her right leg. "Look what [Muammar] Gaddafi's men have done to me," she screamed. "Look what they did, they violated my honour."
Obeidi said she had been arrested at a checkpoint in the capital because she was from Benghazi. "They swore at me and they filmed me. I was alone. There was whisky. I was tied up. They peed on me."
She said she had been raped by 15 men and held for two days. It was impossible to verify her claims, or the government's assertion that she was now free.
Separately, a man claiming to be her cousin told Reuters that Obeidi was targeted by authorities after taking part in a protest in the west of the country during the initial days of the uprising against Gaddafi.
Wadad Omar said his cousin worked for a tourism company in Tripoli and was detained along with three other women who took part in the protest as they returned to the Libyan capital.
The government also used Obeidi's sister to denounce her publicly, Omar said: "(Obeidi's) sister went on television to say her sister is crazy. Muammar wants to prove to the world that she is insane. She (the sister) is certainly under pressure from the government."
Her sudden appearance at the hotel sparked scenes of chaos. Distraught and weeping, Obeidi was surrounded by reporters and camera crews. Libyan minders pushed and struck out at the journalists, one of them drawing a gun, another smashing a CNN camera. Two waiters grabbed knives and threatened Obeidi, calling her "a traitor to Gaddafi".
Charles Clover of the Financial Times, who tried to protect her, was pushed, thrown to the floor and kicked, and Channel 4 News's Jonathan Miller was punched.
Obeidi was frogmarched, struggling, into the lobby and driven away, shouting: "They say they are taking me to hospital but they are taking me to jail."
Her case has sparked an international reaction. Messages of support flooded the Free Iman Al-Obeidi Facebook group in English, which had been "liked" by over 2,300 people and We are all people of faith - Obeidi, in Arabic.
"I admire her for her bravery and courage," said Amir Shakoor in a post. "Her sacrifice will not be wasted and she'll stay symbol of freedom for good. We all pray that she is safe and sound."
A number of Twitter hashtags have also appeared, including #WhereisEmanAlObeidi and #Emanalobeidi and there is a sizeable entry on Wikipedia about Obeidi, giving chapter and verse on her dramatic appearance at Tripoli's smart Rixos Al Nasr hotel.