Associated Press - November 16, 2005
Tanalee Smith

The postponement Tuesday of a long-awaited Libyan Supreme Court decision on the fate of the five Bulgarian and one Palestinian medical workers apparently was made to provide breathing space for some type of deal to be reached.

The six were convicted in May 2004 of infecting more than 400 children with HIV and sentenced to death by firing squad. Human rights groups and others allege that Libya concocted the charges to cover up unhygienic practices in its hospitals.

"This is a case where Gadhafi's regime has no choice," said Saad Djebbar, a Libya analyst with the London-based Chatham House think tank. "This is a problem that the government wants to get rid of."

Djebbar said the court postponement "took into consideration that negotiations are going on with a view to solving this problem."

Added George Joffe, a Libyan researcher at the Center of International Studies at Cambridge University: "Gadhafi needs an excuse to be able to end the matter. He can't just end it like that. He's got some very angry (Libyan) families."

Joffe said any Libya-European Union talks are likely focused on humanitarian aid to the AIDS victims' families "that will be some sort of face-saving measure, that will allow Libya to get something in return."

Bulgaria has already rejected a Libyan suggestion that it pay compensation to the victims' families if Libya lifts the death sentences, saying it would imply their guilt.

But it is known that Gadhafi badly wants to continue improving his relations with the West ù and especially seeks the opening of a U.S. Embassy in Tripoli.

Last month, President Bush warned: "There should be no confusion in the Libyan government's mind that those nurses ought to be not only spared ... but out of prison."

U.S. officials made clear again Tuesday that the nurses' case is a key sticking point that must be resolved before the United States will reopen a U.S. Embassy. Other human rights and terrorism issues also remain, said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also has said relations with Libya hinge on the nurses' fate.

Gadhafi has been largely successful in recent years in shedding his rogue image and improving Western ties, particularly since agreeing in 2003 to dismantle Libya's programs for weapons of mass destruction.

He also paid $2.7 billion to compensate the families of victims of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland.

The moves have resulted in a warming of relations with the West, and the United States has said Libya could win full diplomatic recognition if it cleaned up its human rights and terror record.

Ashur Shamis, a Libyan dissident living in exile in London, said Libya was in a bind.

"Obviously if the court overturns the ruling, then the question will come up, 'Who is responsible for this crime?'" he said.

After the court postponement of a ruling until Jan. 31, angry Libyans outside the court clashed with riot police. Distressed parents held up photos of their children and demanded the death penalty for the nurses and doctor. At least 50 children reportedly have died.

___

Associated Press Writer Khaled Al-Deeb in Tripoli, Libya, contributed to this report.

051116
AP051138

Copyright © 2005 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .