Libyan seeks to marry woman raped by Gaddafi's men

A Libyan man announced his intention to propose to Eman al-Obaidi who made headlines after storming into a Tripoli hotel to tell foreign media the story of her gang-rape by Gaddafi security forces.

Farag al-Ghaithi, from the northeastern Mediterranean city of Darna, declared that he will propose to Obaidi whose courage he greatly admired, the electronic version of the Libyan newspaper Libya al-Youm reported Monday.

According to the paper, Gaithi headed with a group of friends and family members to the eastern city of Tobruk, where Obaidi lives with her family.

Obaidi’s case moved Libyans since her pleas were broadcast on satellite channels and video sharing websites like You Tube.

Libyans showed their solidarity with Obaidi on the social networking website Facebook and protested against the brutality to which she was subjected to.

In the video that shocked Libyans and viewers from all over the world, Obaidi said she was raped by 15 of Gaddafi’s officers after being arrested at a Triploi checkpoint.

Libyan authorities arrested her in the hotel in which she was telling her story to foreign media and said she was a “drunkard” and a “maniac.”

She was later released amid promises that her rapists are to be tracked down and prosecuted.

(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)