International human rights organizations, led by London-based Amnesty International, have lashed out at the Qatari government for sending a woman who accused Libyan soldiers of rape back to the North African country. The organizations said the deportation of Eman al-Obeidi, who publicly accused Libyan soldiers of rape, is a violation of international law. The woman was sent on Thursday to Benghazi in Eastern Libya, which is a stronghold of the opposition forces to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. “It is outrageous that Eman al-Obeidi has again been taken away against her will,” said Amnesty International in a press release on Friday. “She is a recognized refugee and this deportation is a serious breach by Qatar of its international obligations.” Law graduate al-Obeidi became the symbol of international outrage when she was dragged out of a Tripoli hotel on March 26 by security forces and detained, after announcing to journalists present that she had been raped by Libyan soldiers loyal to Gaddafi. After periods in detention, she was reportedly smuggled across the Tunisian border by defecting Libyan military officers. From there she made her way to Qatar. Obeidi had been recognized as a refugee by the UNHCR, which considered that she would face a real risk of persecution in Libya. “Nothing can justify what the authorities of Qatar have done: they have compromised this woman's safety notwithstanding the danger she clearly faces,” said Amnesty International. “After making such a courageous stand against Gaddafi's men, it will be impossible for Eman al-Obeidi to remain anonymous. Her clear entitlement to international protection was totally disregarded by the Qatari authorities” added the rights organization. The Libyan National Transitional Council, the de-facto authority in Benghazi, now has the responsibility to guarantee Obeidi's safety, the rights group said. Under international law, countries of asylum, whether or not they are signatories to the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, are forbidden from returning refugees to their country of origin to face persecution. BM
