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| (Photo: RNW) |
Dutch woman
Talitha van Zon is in a coma in a Tripoli hospital, following a fall from a
balcony of the Corinthia Hotel in the Libyan capital under suspicious
circumstances. The woman’s mother, Leontine van Zon, spoke with Radio
Netherlands Worldwide about the ordeal.
Details
about Talitha’s condition are scant. She reportedly has no broken bones, which
would indicate that she didn’t fall from a great height. It’s completely
unclear whether she jumped, was pushed or fell accidently.
Leontine
said her daughter was among a group of people trapped in the luxury five-star
hotel, located on the coast in an area that has apparently fallen into rebel
hands. The 39-year-old former model had e-mail contact with her mother in the
past few days and said she was terrified and wanted to leave the country as
soon as possible.
Gaddafi’s
son
There is
fierce fighting going on in Tripoli after rebels swept into the city at the
weekend. Following a swift advance, they met stiff resistance from supporters
of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in a number of areas on Monday.
Exactly
what the Dutch woman was doing in Tripoli remains unclear. French press agency
AFP had reported earlier that a “tall, blond Dutch woman” was staying at the
Corinthia. It’s reported she was invited to Libya by one of Gaddafi’s eight
sons, Mutassim. Talitha’s mother confirmed that she knew Mutassim from when she
lived in London.
No contact
Talitha
apparently arrived in Tripoli about ten days ago. Leontine confirmed her
daughter’s departure on 11 August. Four days later, the mother received a phone
call from a friend of Talitha’s in London, who said she was phoning on behalf
of Talitha to say all was well with her, but that she had been unable to reach
her mother.
Another
male friend called from Zurich with the same story on 18 August. In several of
the mails Talitha sent to her mother last weekend, she appealed for help and
described how scared she was.
The family
is desperate for some explanation and clarity. All of their efforts to contact
Talitha have failed. Communication with Libya is almost impossible because of
the heavy fighting.
Embassy
help
The foreign
affairs ministry in The Hague has confirmed that a Dutch woman was admitted to
hospital in Tripoli following a fall from a balcony in the Corinthia Hotel. The
ministry is trying to gather more information about the situation through their
contacts in Tripoli and want to offer her consular help.
The Dutch
embassy in Tripoli has been closed since March. The Hungarian embassy, which
has maintained a small-scale staff, represents the interests of all EU citizens
in Libya.
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