Libya Upholds Death Sentences, EU Haggles
Libya has upheld the death sentences for those foreign medics accused of deliberately infecting children with AIDS.
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya’s Supreme Court upheld death sentences on Wednesday against six foreign medics for infecting Libyan children with HIV, but officials said they could win a reprieve next week.
Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Shalgam said the government-controlled High Judicial Council, which has the power to commute the sentence or even pardon the five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor, will consider the case on Monday.
European Union and Bulgarian leaders expressed regret at the court ruling, the latest twist in a highly politicized trial, but said they remained confident. There have been lengthy efforts to secure a deal with families of the children.
“The court rejects the appeals of the defendants and confirms the death penalty,” judge Fathi Dhan told a five-minute hearing. The six medics were not in court to hear his ruling.
They’re almost certainly not going to be executed. This is an elaborate honor/shame charade, trying to shake money out of some gullible EU country; if not Bulgaria, any of the others might pony up.
Libyan officials say the High Judicial Council would only agree to the release of the nurses if a settlement were reached in private talks between the families and the EU on funding for the children’s medical care.
Behind the scenes talks have been taking place between the EU and the association of the families of the children on just such a possible deal — to provide a fund of tens of millions of dollars for the families to pay for the children’s future care.
Libya calls the cash “compensation” — a term Bulgaria rejects as it says it implies the medics are guilty.
The Libyan families have asked for 10 million euros ($13.3 million) for each child, far in excess of what observers say the EU has been prepared to pay. The Gaddafi Foundation charity, run by a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam, has been a central player in facilitating the talks.
