Libya: dragged away for reporting rape

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Last Saturday, a young woman lawyer named Iman al-Obeidi burst into a Tripoli hotel and pleaded with foreign journalists for help, showing bruises and crying that she had just been gang-raped by 15 of Qaddafi's men. She screamed as she was dragged away by Libyan agents and has not been seen since.

Words cannot express the courage Iman showed in speaking out -- and we can only imagine the terror she must be facing right now in the hands of Qaddafi's infamous thugs. Her life is in danger, but we can help, if we act fast.  

Qaddafi will ignore most international outrage, but he listened to the Turkish government when they asked him to release foreign journalists. Let's urgently raise a massive global call to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to help save Iman -- sign the petition and forward this email to everyone - it will be hand-delivered to the Turkish consulate in Benghazi, and through ads in Turkey, as soon as we reach 500,000 signatures:  

http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_iman_al_obeidi/?vl

Iman said she was stopped at a Tripoli checkpoint and detained for two days, enduring rape and beatings by 15 state security men before managing to escape. She said other women were still being held by the regime thugs.

The men who raped Iman probably thought she would never dare to openly challenge Qaddafi's terror-apparatus, or endure the shame of publicly admitting rape in a conservative society where all too often the woman is blamed for such crimes. But she has dared to break the silence that surrounds so many victims of Qaddafi's brutality and of sexual violence everywhere.

The regime has called her a prostitute and promised to charge her with defaming government forces. But Libyans have demonstrated on the streets in force to stand with Iman and support her, and Turkish influence with Qaddafi could still be enough to free her. Let's stand with Iman al-Obeidi, who dared to stand up to her tormentors and cry out for truth and justice – sign below to call on Turkey's Prime Minister to act, and forward this email widely:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_iman_al_obeidi/?vl

Right now a brave young woman has risked everything for the values we all share, and is facing terrifying consequences. Let's do all we can to save her.

With hope and determination,

Stephanie, Pascal, Alice, Rewan, Mohammad, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team

Sources:

Woman's rape claim opens rare window into regime (including Video of the incident), The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/womans-rape-claim-opens-rare-window-into-regime-2254752.html

Turkey helps free Guardian journalist in Libya, Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/17/turkey-helps-free-guardian-journalist-libya

Turkey saves New York Times journalists in Libya, Todays Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=238855

Libyan woman who alleged rape still missing, Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/africa/2011/03/201132963515140400.html

Libyan government offered money to appease Iman al-Obaidi, woman in rape-claim case, mother says, Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/mother-of-libyan-woman-in-rape-claim-case-says-she-is-very-proud-of-her-daughter/2011/03/27/AFNppLkB_story.html

Fight as Libyan woman dragged from press by Gaddafi forces, Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8408506/Fight-as-woman-dragged-from-press-by-Gaddafi-forces.html

Thorough investigation urged over Libya rape case, Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/thorough-investigation-urged-over-libya-rape-case-2011-03-28

Libya: Immediately Release Woman Who Alleged Rape, Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/28/libya-immediately-release-woman-who-alleged-rape
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