NEW HAVEN, Conn. -journalist of Connecticut held in Libya for six weeks, said Tuesday that it has been drawn on and then beat her when she was captured, but later better because she was transferred from the prison of a luxury hotel treated.
Clare Morgana Gillis was one of the four journalists foreign, out may 18. She said that she was pleased to be in New Haven and grateful to its supporters at home to campaign for his release, but upset that a photographer, she was with when she was captured, was killed.
"I am so happy to be alive, having regard to the circumstances of our capture," said Gillis.
The old Gillis of 34 years, journalist freelance for the Atlantic and USA Today, said she went to Egypt and Libya more later to cover the fighting which began in February with only a few hundreds of dollars that it borrowed from her sister and her friend. She was pleased to pick up work although she dodged bullets and bombs on the front lines.
April 5, Gillis and other journalists have been taken by a civilian pilot, then by forces hostile to the Government of fighting at the end of the dictatorship of the last four decades. She was skeptical about reports that the forces of leader Libyan Muammar Gaddafi were near - until the rebels began to withdraw a slope.
Suddenly two trucks with the forces of Gaddafi came to the Hill in their regard.
"They were firing directly at us," said Gillis.
Gillis and reporters James Foley and Manuel Varela took cover in a small dune sand as scored by bullets.
"Help", photographer Anton Hammerl crié.
Are you OK? "Foley asked.
"No," replied the Hammerl born in South Africa.
Gillis said one of the soldiers hit her in the face, knocking his glasses. "I had a wicked black eye," she said.
The men have been affected by the butts of AK - 47, she said, recalling a bloody Foley. The journalists were tied up, loaded into a van and taken to a military camp.
Young soldiers kept their AK-47, trained on them, said Gillis. She grew uncomfortable with his hands tied in the back but try not to make sudden movements.
The journalists decided not to speak of the death of Hammerl before their captors.
South Africa charged Friday that Gaddafi provided misinformation on the death of Hammerl. Gillis said that it wants an investigation into what happened.
Gillis said they received food, water and even a casual cigarette by guards. She said that her jail cell had a dirty mattress and a blanket.
After a few days at the military camp, journalists have been taken to a detention centre in Tripoli. Gillis and Foley share a cell and have been quite close Varela that they can talk him through electrical outlets.
Gillis, said that she feared that she might be raped, but she was not. She said that she was the eyes bandaged and questioned in the small hours of the morning, accused of being a spy, has shouted and forced to sign documents in Arabic.
Gillis, said that it is not very religious but was found praying a lot. She could hear bombs drop, shaking the ground and wondered if they belonged to the American forces.
"It would be ironic that I myself am taken by an American in Libya bomb while I was in captivity," she said.
More than two weeks after that it was captured, Gillis was allowed to call his parents. She knew that her mother was worried because she did not call the anniversary of her mother, a day after its capture.
Later, journalists have been taken to a luxury hotel and a guest house owned by a retired General who had curtains of silk and Oriental rugs. During this time, she said that she and Foley would pass the time Recalling the film in detail.
Son, aged of 38 years of Qaddafi, Saadi, showed a day in a SUV armoured to transport them from prison to the hotel. He was wearing a white dress.
"Are the crazy rebels?" he asked Gillis.
Gillis said that they were not, they want democracy.
"Oh," Saadi said.
"It was bizarre,"she said."".
Gillis, said that she would report again on a conflict. But, she said: "everything I need to do then, I don't want to be caught."
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