[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

June 14


LIBYA:

Appeal against 2nd death sentences against jailed nurses and Palestinian
doctor scheduled for June 20

The appeal against the second death sentences of the 5 Bulgarian nurses
and Palestinian doctor has been scheduled for June 20 at the Supreme Court
of Libya, BNR reported. According to the Libyan lawyer of the medics,
Othman Bizanti, the judges will pronounce on the admissibility of the
medics' litigations.

According to Libyan legislation this judicial instance can either uphold
the death sentences or read other verdicts, or suspend them for good,
meaning that whatever the decision of the Supreme Court, it will be final.

In case the sentences are upheld, the medics may be reprieved by the
Supreme Judicial Council of the Jamahiriya. The hearing was scheduled for
June 20 days after the visit of EU External Relations Commissioner Benita
Ferrero-Waldner and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to
Libya where they talked to the nurses and Palestinian doctor as well as
with the families of the sick children and the son of Libyan leader
Muammar Gaddafi - Seif al Islam. Last week Seif al Islam and Idriss Lagha,
the head of the Libyan Union for Children Infected with HIV in Benghazi
made forecasts that the case will be soon resolved.

5 Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor are on death row in Libya for
having deliberately infected over 400 Libyan children with HIV.

(source: Focus News (Bulgaria) )