Libya AIDS trial

**Kara Kolyo** · December 19, 2006, 05:19 AM

I don't know if any of you have heard the story about the five bulgarian medics and a palestinian doctor who are held in libyan prison for 8 years and are accused that intentionaly infected with AIDS more than 400 children in the hospital they worked at.

Today the Court confirmed their death sentenices despite the evidences that the disease started long before the bulgarians.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6192599.stm
The six will probably hang for something EU and USA say they didn't do. and they were found not guilty on other charges that actually could be true - prostitution, alchohol trade and money transfers.
The medics were torchured to give confessions and so.
what do you think about this story?

**Sidus Preclarum** · December 19, 2006, 05:25 AM

I've just read about this on yahoo. The trial looks like a farce. Either those people are sacrificed for internal propaganda/scapegoating purposes , or kept as bargaining chips with the international community . The verdict can be appealed, btw.

**llama_attack** · December 19, 2006, 05:29 AM

But will the appeal do any good

It wouldn't suprise me if Gaddafi orchastrated this, now there is a dictator with a screw loose

**Kara Kolyo** · December 19, 2006, 05:32 AM

Sorry about the double thread... well it is appealed for several times now and the verdict is still "Hang'em". btw there were some rummors that Libya is going to ask aproximately the same ammount of money they gave for Lockerby (sp?). At the same time Gadafy can't admmit that so many children died-are dying because of poor hygienne

**KaerMorhen** · December 19, 2006, 05:58 AM

It's widely known that Libya is dictatorship state facing lots of severe problems. Hers allegation from recent past with supporting, funding various terrorists groups, "dirty laudry" for unknown source money etc. Propaganda wants scapegoats to "express" fairness of the state M. Kadaffi himself. Look at the medics - bulgarian nurses and palestinian doctor - who will backs them with power that could change their fate?. Palestine, Bulgaria??? does Kadaffi care about both? I don't think so. And how long does it last??? - try to imagine US/EU or Russia citizens imprisoned for 8 years in libyan prison.

**Armfelt** · December 19, 2006, 11:51 AM

Just when Kaddafi managed to fix his relations' with the west.

**Da Skinna** · December 19, 2006, 04:59 PM

How is he still alive?

From nearly every account I read of him, he's like a snivelling little wart, barely managing to scrape by...

Does nobody want Libya or something?

**RusskiSoldat** · December 19, 2006, 05:13 PM

Qadaffi obviously can't back down as it would make him look weak.
The option for Bulgaria to bail out it's doctors was quite rational, as it would allow them to go free without Qadaffi losing face (which he avoids by standing by their sentence and stalling).

**Ó Cathasaigh** · December 19, 2006, 05:20 PM

Let me quote the horrible movie "Jingle all the way"

'This is a sick world we're livin' in, with sick people'

now that movie shall never be quoted from again, whew.

**Da Skinna** · December 19, 2006, 10:45 PM

Hehe, it was on tonight.

But seriously, there has got to be at least one person in the whole of Libya interested in taking over the country that has the resources and is smarter than this guy...

**wilpuri** · December 20, 2006, 03:04 AM

Qaddaffi is in a sticky situation. The people are out for blood, the west want to stop the farce (bad hygiene caused the infections, not the Bulgarian medical staff). If Qaddaffi interferes and let's the accused walk, there will be unrest in eastern Libya, for sure. Then again, he must try to keep the west happy at the same time, as he's been working hard to get Libya out of the 'rogue nations' category.

**Kara Kolyo** · December 20, 2006, 04:14 AM

@Ruski - Bulgaria can't pay for the nurces because it will mean that their guilt is aknowleged. For me it's Libya wanting ransom for the bulgarians and the palestinian and a future member of EU can't pay such ransoms.... i agree with the big boss Wilpuri that Kadaffi can't simply let them go, because it will bring riots in Benghasi.
Unfortunately for too long the bulgarian autorities did nothing to set the 5 free. at the beggining of the scandal there were more than 85 philipinian (sp?) nurses and some from Poland who were taken away quickly by their governments and are free now.