Death Sentences Confirmed
Updated on: 19.12.2006, 17:18
Published on: 19.12.2006, 11:15
Seven Years in Custody
- 1999: Nineteen Bulgarian medical workers arrested at Benghazi hospital after outbreak of HIV/Aids among children
- 2000: Five Bulgarian women nurses and Bulgarian male doctor go on trial along with a Palestinian doctor
- 2004-05: Libya convicts and sentences the five nurses and Palestinian to death; retrial subsequently ordered
- 2006: The nurses and Palestinian doctor are convicted and sentenced to death again
The Libyan court has once again sentenced to death the five Bulgarian nurses.
"Allah Akbar!" shouted the families of the infected children as soon as they heard the decision of the Libyan court.
The five nurses were immediately taken out of the courtroom but they are said to be in a state of shock.
Relatives of the nurses in Bulgaria are devastated and Valia's husband was even rushed to hospital.
"There is no justice in Libya, I am shocked," said Georgy Gatev, defense lawyer.
"I am greatly disappointed." he added.
The verdict and sentences were announced by judge Mahmoud Haouissa. The six are accused of infecting 426 Libyan children with HIV at a hospital in Benghazi in the late 1990s. The prosecution had demanded the death penalty.
"In the name of the people and after reviewing the documents and hearing the arguments by lawyers of both sides, the court decided on death sentences," Haouissa said, winding up a seven-month retrial of the case.
"They caused the spread of the disease that caused the death of more than one person."
Relatives of the children attending the hearing broke down in tears of joy and shouted
"God is greatest"
The defendants say they are being made scapegoasts for unhugenic conditions. Defense lawyers said they'll appeal against the new verdict, expected to be the final appeal allowed by the Libyan law.
"They violated thier obligations and sold their consciences to the devil" Abdulah Maghrebi Father of HIV infected child
Bulgarian officials quickly condemned the verdicts. Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin described the ruling as "deeply disappointing"
And EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini expressed his shock at the verdict and called for the decision to be reviewed, the AFP news agency reported.
Parents of theinfected children said they were happy with the verdicts.
Some cried out in court as the verdicts were delivered, while others were gathered outside carrying banners.
"Justice has been done. We are happy," said Subhy Abdullah, whose seven-year-old daughter died of Aids.
"They should be executed quickly," he told the Reuters news agency.