investigation headquarters. she s supposedly being offered legal aid. investigators are treating her case as a criminal matter. a spokesmen says four or five men will be investigated and the government may let journalists see her in just a few days. we ll continue to follow this. as we said, this happened in full view of a group of journalists. the beirut bureau chief for the los angeles times witnessed the incident and joins us now by phone. the libyan government claims the woman is in safe hands right now. do you think we ll ever see her again? you know, it s hard to tell. we were told a couple of times that we would have a chance to see her, that there would be an invitation to go and see her, especially if she agrees to this. at this point i think it would be very easy for the government to say, sorry, guys, she doesn t want to see you anymore, she needs her privacy. after all, she s allegedly been
being hauled off to possibly never be heard from again and tonight the libyan government says she s been released. nic, where is this woman right now? reporter: well, we don t know where she is right now. the government officials have told us various stories in the past 24 hours. they said that she was being taken to a mental hospital. then a few hours she said she was at the politician investigation headquarters where she was being held to foul charges against the men she accuses of raping her and government officials said she was released to the care of her family. but there were early indications at this stage that is her family is saying they re not aware of that. the government has been at pains to smear obeida s reputation accusing her of being a prostitute. i asked him about that the statement. yes, nic.
never be heard from again and tonight the libyan government says she s been released. nic, where is this woman right now? reporter: well, we don t know where she is right now. the government officials have told us various stories in the past 24 hours. they said that she was being taken to a mental hospital. then a few hours she said she was at the politician investigation headquarters where she was being held to foul charges against the men she accuses of raping her and government officials said she was released to the care of her family. but there were early indications at this stage that is her family is saying they re not aware of that. the government has been at pains to smear obeida s reputation accusing her of being a prostitute. i asked him about that the statement.