LIBYA: Libyan council postpones decision on foreign medics

Libya's top judiciary body has put off until Tuesday (July 17) a decision on the fate of six foreign medics sentenced to death for infecting Libyan children with HIV. Quoting council sources, the state news agency Jana reported on Monday (July 16) that the "High Judicial Council has put off its decision on the items left from its schedule until tomorrow morning (Tuesday)." Jana did not mention the case of the six medics as one of the scheduled items but lawyers and officials have said the council was due to rule on it. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor were imprisoned in Libya eight years ago and sentenced to die for infecting 426 Libyan children with the virus that causes AIDS while working at a children's hospital in the city of Benghazi. Libya's Supreme Court last week upheld the death sentences, placing the medics' fate in the hands of the High Judicial Council, which is controlled by the government and has the power to commute sentences or issue pardons. European Union governments are hopeful the six will be set free after successful negotiations with an association of families to reach a financial settlement. Both sides have suggested agreement is close, and Libya has hinted it could free the nurses if an accord is reached. The families have asked for compensation of 10 million euros ($13.3 million) for each infected child's family -- "blood money" under which Islamic law lets victims' relatives withdraw death sentences in return for reparations. The EU refuses to accept the idea of compensation, which would imply the medics were guilty, but has offered a fund to pay for the children's future care. Libyan officials say the Council could take several sessions to reach a final decision and will only agree to the release of the nurses if a settlement has been reached in the private talks between the families and the EU. Libya returned to international mainstream politics in 2003 after decades of isolation when it scrapped its programme of prohibited weapons. Washington said last week it was sending the first U.S. ambassador to Tripoli in nearly 35 years, but failure to free the medics could carry a heavy diplomatic cost for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

ITN Source | July 17, 2007

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