Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
BBC News - December 25, 2005
It has also ordered a retrial of the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor in a lower court.
The six were sentenced to death in May 2004 for infecting 426 children with the HIV virus in the city of Benghazi.
They have always maintained their innocence. Bulgaria, the US and EU welcomed the decision.
"The unfair death sentences were reversed.... We hope that the swiftness and the effectiveness demonstrated by the Libyan court in the past days will help to solve the case as soon as possible," Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov said.
US state department spokesman Justin Higgins described the decision as positive.
"We believe a way should be found to allow the medics to return to Bulgaria and Palestine," he said, the Reuters news agency reported.
Emma Udwin, the European Commission's external relations spokeswoman, expressed the hope that the move would "lead to a rapid and fair settlement to all concerned".
The medics, who have spent almost seven years in prison, say they were made scapegoats for poor hospital hygiene.
'Torture'
The BBC's Bethany Bell in the Egyptian capital Cairo says the decision to order a retrial appears to be an attempt to end the stand-off between Libya and the West.
The six were condemned to face death by firing squad after they were found guilty of knowingly infecting the children with the HIV virus. About 50 of the children have since died.
The supreme court ordered the retrial after hearing an appeal by the health workers, who said their confessions were extracted under torture.
The medics also presented the testimony of Western medical experts, who said the outbreak started before they arrived and was probably caused by unhygienic practices.
Parents and relatives of the infected children stood outside the supreme court, protesting against the decision and calling for the death penalty to be carried out.
The verdict comes at a time when negotiations on financial compensation have been taking place between the families of the infected children, a Bulgarian NGO and the EU.
On Friday, Bulgaria and Libya agreed to set up a fund for the families of the 426 HIV-infected children.
051225
BB051236
Copyright © 2005 - BBC. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BBC.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, 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.
.