Appeals against Libyan verdict

Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil has expressed his concern on the verdict in Libya concerning five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, who were sentenced to death by a Libyan court for allegedly having infected children with the HIV virus.

Dr Busuttil, who is the vice-chairman of the European Parliament's delegation responsible for relations with Maghreb countries, including Libya, said the families of the children and of those who have died as a result have suffered and are still suffering tremendously, but the sentencing to death is not the way to serve justice given the compelling evidence that there is on the medics' innocence.

Moreover, the use of the death sentence cannot, under any circumstance, be acceptable and it needs to be revoked, Dr Busuttil added.

A similar appeal was made by the president of the European Parliament Josep Borrell and by the president of the EPP-ED Group Hans-Gert Poettering who appealed to the Libyan authorities to reconsider the verdict.

Dr Busuttil also expressed concern about the repercussions of the verdict on relations between the EU and Libya.