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Bulgaria seeks HIV medics' return Bulgaria seeks HIV medics' return
(about 3 hours later)
Bulgaria is expected to begin moves to secure the transfer from Libya of six Bulgarian medics convicted of infecting Libyan children with HIV. Bulgaria is pressing for the return from Libya of six medics convicted of infecting Libyan children with HIV.
Death sentences on the six - five nurses and a Palestinian doctor who holds Bulgarian citizenship - were commuted to life in prison on Tuesday. Prosecutor General Boris Velchev said an official transfer request would be sent to Tripoli later on Wednesday.
The move came after families of the 438 children agreed a compensation deal. Death sentences imposed on the six - five nurses and a Palestinian doctor who holds Bulgarian citizenship - were commuted to life in prison on Tuesday.
The six were convicted in 2004 but say they are innocent. Bulgaria has lobbied internationally for their return. Libya's foreign minister said Tripoli was still awaiting guarantees regarding the treatment of the infected children.
Libya and Bulgaria have a bilateral agreement on prisoner exchange. "The ball is in the court of Bulgaria and the European Union," said Abdel-Rahman Shalqam.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy may meanwhile travel to Libya to mediate in the dispute between the two countries. Libya's High Judicial Council, a semi-political body, made the decision that the six should receive life sentences instead of the death penalty.
A spokesman for the president said Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had invited Mr Sarkozy to Tripoli. For us the case will be closed only after the medics return to Bulgarian soil and we are working for it to happen as soon as possible Sergei Stanishev,Bulgarian Prime Minister class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/6904081.stm">Case highlights Libyan reform
"Of course, the president accepted the invitation, which he will honour quickly if it can be useful to the resolution of the matter," the spokesman said. The move came after a compensation deal was agreed by the parents of the 483 infected children, reportedly worth $1m (£500,000) per child.
Request for pardon The payout is reportedly coming from an international fund which the Libyan government, the EU and other organisations are contributing to.
A Bulgarian judiciary official said diplomats are to start working towards bringing the medical workers home. A further obstacle was cleared on Wednesday when another Libyan court cleared the six of defamation, a charge brought by a senior police officer after they claimed their initial confessions had been extracted under torture.
All judicial options are real Ivailo Kalfin,Bulgarian Foreign Minister class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/6904081.stm">Case highlights Libyan reform The six have been in prison since 1999 and were convicted in 2004 but say they are innocent. Bulgaria has lobbied internationally for their return.
Their main Libyan defence lawyer, Osman al-Bizant, told the al-Jazeera television network that their deportation would depend on whether there was the possibility of carrying out the punishment in Bulgaria. "For us the case will be closed only after the medics return to Bulgarian soil, and we are working for it to happen as soon as possible," Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev told reporters on Wednesday.
But Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin, when asked whether it was possible that the medics would be pardoned after returning home, replied: "All judicial options are real." Mr Velchev said the request to Tripoli was based on a 1984 agreement that would allow the medical workers to serve their sentences in Bulgaria.
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Shalqam said Tripoli was willing to consider the medics' transfer to Bulgaria. French President Nicolas Sarkozy may travel to Libya to mediate in the dispute between the two countries. A spokesman for Mr Sarkozy said Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had invited the president to Tripoli.
"In return, improving the conditions of the infected children and their families should be taken into account," he told the Associated Press news agency.
At the weekend the medics signed a letter of request for pardon and mercy, as well as a document ruling out any further legal action against the Libyan state over the prison time they had so far served.
The compensation deal agreed by the parents of the infected children is reportedly worth $1m (£500,000) per child.
The payout is reportedly coming from an international fund which the Libyan government, the European Union and other organisations are contributing to.
'Poor hygiene''Poor hygiene'
The medics were convicted of deliberately injecting 438 children with HIV-tainted blood. Fifty-six of them have since died.The medics were convicted of deliberately injecting 438 children with HIV-tainted blood. Fifty-six of them have since died.
TRIAL IN DATES 1999: 19 Bulgarian medics and a Palestinian doctor are arrested at a Benghazi hospital after an outbreak of HIV/Aids among children. 13 are later freedMay 2004: Libya convicts and sentences five Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor for infecting children with HIV. A Bulgarian doctor is freedDec 2005: Libyan Supreme Court overturns the convictions and orders a retrialDec 2006: Medics sentenced to death a second timeFeb 2007: Medics appeal to the Libyan Supreme CourtJune 2007: Top EU officials hold talks in Libya to try to secure medics' release11 July 2007: Libya's Supreme Court upholds death sentences Profile of the medics Timeline: Medics trial TRIAL IN DATES 1999: 19 Bulgarian medics and a Palestinian doctor are arrested at a Benghazi hospital after an outbreak of HIV/Aids among children. 13 are later freedMay 2004: Libya convicts and sentences five Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor for infecting children with HIV. A Bulgarian doctor is freedDec 2005: Libyan Supreme Court overturns the convictions and orders a retrialDec 2006: Medics sentenced to death a second timeFeb 2007: Medics appeal to the Libyan Supreme CourtJune 2007: Top EU officials hold talks in Libya to try to secure medics' release11 July 2007: Libya's Supreme Court upholds death sentences Profile of the medics Timeline: Medics trial Foreign experts say the infections started before the medics arrived at the hospital, and are more likely to have been a result of poor hygiene.
The six, who have been in prison since 1999, say they were tortured to confess. Bulgaria, its allies in the EU, and the United States say Libya has used the case to deflect criticism from its run-down health service.
Foreign experts say the infections started before the medics arrived at the hospital, and are more likely to have been a result of poor hygiene.
Bulgaria, its allies in the European Union, and the United States say Libya has used the case to deflect criticism from its run-down health service.
They have also suggested that not freeing the medics could carry a diplomatic price for Col Gaddafi, who has been seeking to emerge from more than three decades of diplomatic isolation.They have also suggested that not freeing the medics could carry a diplomatic price for Col Gaddafi, who has been seeking to emerge from more than three decades of diplomatic isolation.
The Palestinian doctor was granted Bulgarian citizenship to allow him to benefit from any transfer deal.The Palestinian doctor was granted Bulgarian citizenship to allow him to benefit from any transfer deal.