Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 14:03, 5 January 2007

The HIV trial in Libya concerns the trials of six foreign medical workers accused of conspiring to deliberately inject 426 Libyan children with HIV, causing an epidemic at Al-Fateh (also spelled El-Fath) Children's Hospital in Benghazi. It was the largest outbreak of hospital-induced HIV in history. The main defendants are five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian physician, collectively called the Benghazi Six. Over a period of eight years from their arrests, there have been a trial resulting in convictions and death sentences, an appeal overturning the convictions, and a retrial reimposing the convictions and death sentences.

From the outset, a highly charged atmosphere surrounded the case. There have been allegations of and separate trials for torture, confessions, and retracted confessions, as well as charges of CIA/Mossad plots and vaccine tests gone awry, involving genetically engineered viruses. There have been international appeals, and protests by many world leaders.

Four scientific reports were done - one by the World Health Organization, one by Libya, and two by independent experts (see "Scientific studies and reports" below). The most recent utilized genetic analysis to reconstruct the first appearance of HIV in the children, and showed conclusively that the particular strain of HIV found in the children was present in few of them before the Benghazi Six arrived in Libya.

The latest trial ended on December 19, 2006: the defendants were again convicted and sentenced to death by firing squad. (Non-Libyan scientific evidence was excluded from this latest trial.) However, this latest trial "will not be the final step in the Libyan legal process, it could be appealed again to the supreme court and could then go to the Libyan higher judicial council, which might grant clemency." The defense team has 60 days in which to file an appeal.

On December 28, 2006 the Libyan government condemned "foreign pressure" and expressed concern about war (see below).

Case history

Initial outbreak

The five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian Ashraf al-Hadjudj arrived in Libya in early 1998 to treat pediatric patients. A crisis erupted that summer when "Laa" magazine a local newspaper (ownd by the Libyan government), reported cases of AIDS at the hospital having been contracted by the parents of two dead children. The crisis deepened as more parents came forward, "La" was shut down, but it was eventually revealed that some 450 people, mostly children, had been infected. A WHO team was sent in December and stayed through January of 1999, and issued a classified report (see below).

In February the Bulgarian embassy reported that 23 Bulgarian specialists had been kidnapped. A week later they were informed by Libyan authorities that “precautionary measures” had been taken against Bulgarian doctors and nurses working at the Benghazi Children’s Hospital. Almost a year later February 7, 2000, the first trial, Case No. 44 of 1999 against six Bulgarians, eight Libyans and one Palestinian began, charging them with indiscriminate killing of people for the purpose of subversion of the security of the State, conspiracy and collusion, causing an epidemic by injecting 393 children (see List of Libyan children in HIV trial in Libya) with the AIDS virus, and premeditated murder. Separate charges entered against some or all of the Bulgarians only were: engaging in illicit sexual relationships, drinking alcohol in public places, distilling alcohol, and illegally transacting in foreign currency.

Arrests

Initially, 23 foreign medical personnel were arrested, mostly Bulgarian, but 17 were released and have returned to Bulgaria. Additionally, 11 Libyan nationals were arrested and charged with the alleged crimes.

On March 7, 1999 six members of the group subjected to "precautionary measures" were formally arrested on a warrant in connection with the case of infecting children in Benghazi with HIV. They are Kristiyana Valtcheva, Nasya Nenova, Valentina Siropulo, Valya Chervenyashka, and Snezhana Dimitrova. Along with Palestinian physician Ashraf al-Hajuj, they were later to become widely known as the Benghazi Six.

A Bulgarian doctor, Zdravko Georgiev, was also convicted, although of lesser crimes (illegal transactions with foreign exchange). Dr. Georgiev went to Libya to see his wife (Valtcheva); subsequently he was detained and tried, too. Georgiev was sentenced to four years in prison and served more than that before his release, but he remains in Libya awaiting an exit visa. The following Libyans were also tried on various charges: Atia at-Tahir Ali al-Juma (director of the Benghazi hospital), Halifa Milyad Mohammed al-Sherif (head of hospital ward), Abdul Azis Husein Mohammed Shembesh (head of hospital ward), Abdul Menam Ahmed Mohammed al-Sherif (head of hospital ward), Idris Maatuk Mohammed al-Amari, Salim Ibrahim Suleyman Abe Garara, Mansur al-Mansur Saleh al-Mauhub, Nureddin Abdulhamid Halil Dagman, and Saad Musa Suleyman al-Amruni (assistant secretary of the health care sector in Benghazi).

Police arrested

Libyan authorities later arrested nine police officers and a doctor and charged them with torture of the accused Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor in order to extract confessions.

Case 44/1999 of People's Court of Libya

(February 7, 2000 – February 17, 2002) Libya began the case without notifying Bulgaria. The trial was suspended because the Court did not see any evidence for the accusation of conspiracy against the country. The judge made a statement saying that the People's Court of Libya was incompetent with regard to the case. The People's Court of Libya is the lowest court in the three-tier Libyan court system.

• The confessions of some of the medics and the contention of Gaddafi that the accused worked as CIA and Mossad agents were considered to be the basis for the case.
• The Bulgarian medics declared during the case that the confessions were obtained through torture. Gaddafi's thesis was rejected as absurd by both the international press and the experts.
• A few months after the beginning of the case, lawyers Vladimir Sheitanov and Osman Bizanti appealed to the court demanding that the detention measure be altered because of the Bulgarians' physical and mental state. Sheitanov said that the almost two-year preliminary detention was incompatible with the principle of "innocent until proven guilty."

Case 213/2002 - Case 607/2003 Benghazi Appeals Court

(July 8 2003 – 2004)

• Libya withdrew its accusation of participation in a CIA/Mossad conspiracy and made new accusations of illegal drug experiments and of contamination with HIV mutations.
• In a court session, two experts, Luc Montagnier (co-discoverer of HIV) and Vittorio Colizzi, said that the epidemic at Al-Fatih hospital resulted from poor hygiene and that the infection began spreading in 1997, a year before the accused started working there.

The Criminal Court sentenced Kristiyana Valtcheva, Nasya Nenova, Valentina Siropulo, Valya Chervenyashka, Snezhana Dimitrova and Ashraf al-Hajuj to death by firing squad for deliberately infecting more than 400 Libyan children with HIV. Kristiyana Valtcheva and Zdravko Georgiev were sentenced to 4 years' imprisonment and a fine on the charge of making illegal transactions with foreign exchange. Under the civil suit, the court obliged Ashraf al-Hajuj, Kristiyana Valtcheva and Nasya Nenova to pay compensations to the infected children's parents. Motivated complaints against the court's decision were lodged on July 5, 2004.

The nurses were sentenced to death on May 6, 2004, when Bulgaria was celebrating major Christian festivities of St George's Day.

• In January 2004, the European Union recommended that Libya withdraw its charges. The letter was delivered by the ambassadors of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
• Amnesty International, the United States Department of State, and other state and international organizations expressed their concern with the course of the trial.
• The Government of Bulgaria, which lobbied for the release of the defendants, defined the verdict as unjust and absurd.

Case of the Supreme Court in Tripoli

The Libyan Supreme Court heard the appeal of the cases beginning on March 29, 2005. On March 30, prosecutors urged the court to revoke the death sentences and remand the case to the lower courts for retrial. Under Libyan law, the court could not accept any new evidence, although the defense team argued that there had been wrongly interpreted evidence during the court sessions so far. The judgment was to have been handed down on May 31, 2005, but was postponed (with no reason given) until November 15, 2005—during the six month delay, the medics were to be allowed an extra room and daily walks. On that date, the judgment was again deferred (ostensibly to give the defense more time to prepare) until January 31, 2006. Then in late December the hearing was unexpectedly moved up to December 25 (Christmas Day) when the Supreme Court revoked the death sentences and ordered a new trial. In April 2006, the Bulgarian foreign ministry announced that the new trial in Tripoli would begin on May 11, 2006.

Second sentencing

On December 19, 2006, the six medics were again sentenced to death. EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini quickly expressed his shock at the verdict and called for the decision to be reviewed, as was done by the Bulgarian government and international organizations, including Amnesty International, the World Medical Association and the International Council of Nurses.

Torture Case

The confessions that the prosecution obtained from three of the defendants, Kristiyana Valtcheva, Valentina Siropulo and the doctor Ashraf al-Hajuj, have been alleged to have been "obtained only after an interrogation process in which they were stripped, beaten, attacked by dogs, electrocuted and, in at least one case, sexually assaulted with a police baton." Two of the nurses say that they were raped while imprisoned. Al-Hajuj sustained damage to his hands that would prevent him ever working as a doctor again after his release.

May, 2005 Human Rights Watch interview Jadida prison

“I confessed during torture with electricity. They put small wires on my toes and on my thumbs. Sometimes they put one on my thumb and another on either my tongue, neck or ear,” Valentina Siropulo, one of the Bulgarian defendants, told Human Rights Watch. “They had two kinds of machines, one with a crank and one with buttons.”

Another Bulgarian defendant, Kristiana Valceva, said interrogators used a small machine with cables and a handle that produced electricity.

“During the shocks and torture they asked me where the AIDS came from and what is your role,” she told Human Rights Watch. She said that Libyan interrogators subjected her to electric shocks on her breasts and genitals.

“My confession was all in Arabic without translation,” she said. “We were ready to sign anything just to stop the torture.”

Lawyers for the accused medical personnel have asked for 5 million Libyan dinars (approx. 3.7M USD/3.1M EUR) as compensation. Much of the evidence is based on medical reports prepared by authorities from Bulgaria relating to marks and scars on the defendants. All of the accused Libyans deny the charges, and none of them were jailed. After several procedural delays, their trial began in late May 2005. on June 7, 2005, the ten defendants were acquitted.

Civil lawsuit by an HIV victim

The civil lawsuit was initiated by the relatives of a young HIV victim — the family says that their child was infected by the Bulgarians, and demands to receive compensation of almost 12 million US dollars.

The civil lawsuit against the six medics was postponed until December 27, 2005, which had been expected to be after the conclusion of their last appeal trial.

As of October 1, 2005, Libya has repeatedly stated that Bulgaria must negotiate with the victims' families, and Bulgaria and Western nations have repeatedly refused because to do so would admit guilt. Proposed deals to offer humanitarian assistance not admitting guilt have been rebuffed.

A hearing was postponed on October 2, and another was scheduled for December 27—however, on December 17, the new hearing was further postponed until February 25 2006.

International Reactions

The international community and medical authorities disputed the convictions and argued that the HIV infections were caused by pre-existing poor hygiene at the children's hospital, that the infections began with a single child admitted prior to the Bulgarians' arrival in Libya, and that the Benghazi Six were scapegoats being cynically used by Libya as a bargaining chip. United States Senator Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, vowed to work for the release of the accused. On September 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov vowed to work for the release of the medics on his trip to Libya in November. U.S. President George W. Bush has said "I want them free." One of Gaddafi's sons has admitted at least some Libyan responsibility. On December 24, 2005, it was announced that Libya, Bulgaria, the EU, and the US had agreed on a fund which may help to resolve the matter.

In response to the risk of a new death penalty verdict in the current trial, international opinion has again began to mobilize. In October 2006, several scientific organizations responded with appeals, and The New York Times and the journal Nature published strong editorials calling for a fair trial.

Quid pro quo

Although he concurred with the guilty verdict, Gaddafi proposed releasing the six medics if, quid pro quo:

• the convicted Pan Am Flight 103 bomber Megrahi, serving a life sentence in a Scottish jail, were to be released; and,
• US$2.7 billion compensation were paid to Libya for the care of the HIV-infected patients (the exact sum offered by Libya in compensation for the 270 lives lost in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing).

Bulgaria refused to pay any compensation on the grounds that it would be admitting the guilt of the medics. And on June 7, 2005, the European Union engaged in negotiations to provide assistance to Libya, but not directly linked to the case of the six medics. On August 18, 2005, Libya recommended that Bulgaria should negotiate on the amount of the payment. The next week, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) delegate visited Libya and saw the medics. On August 31, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin stated that Bulgaria would send humanitarian aid while not acknowledging the guilt of the medics. On September 8, it was announced that Libya had prepared a list of 40 items (non-monetary) that should be sent as aid and that Bulgaria could supply 24 of them.

Incentives for a resolution

On April 12, 2005, reports surfaced that Libya was considering a trade embargo with Bulgaria for what the Libyan government termed Bulgaria's failure to prevent the HIV outbreak. Although the case has resulted in tense diplomatic negotiations in the past, this move is considered an unexpected escalation by Libya. The reports were later denied by Libya.

Libya has a motivation to resolve the case amicably with Europe in that it desires to join the EU's "Barcelona" trade partnership (see Barcelona Conference). Executing the medics under the current perceptions would almost certainly have ruined any chances of Libya's joining in the foreseeable future.

Relief (and protests) over first reprieve

On December 25, 2005, Libya's supreme court overturned death sentences against the Benghazi Six, who had always denied intentionally infecting 426 children with HIV-contaminated blood.

Bulgarian president Georgi Parvanov said the court ruling "confirmed our hope that justice in this case will prevail". President Parvanov added: "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 solve the case as soon as possible."

US State Department spokesman, Justin Higgins, described the decision as a "positive development since it removes the risk of the death penalty being carried out. As we have made clear before, we believe a way should be found to allow the medics to return to their home".

The Council of Europe welcomed the decision and said it hoped the new trial will "comply with the internationally recognised standards of fairness and due process".

However, parents and relatives of the 426 HIV-infected children — 51 of whom are said to have died of AIDS — stood outside the supreme court protesting against the reprieve, and calling for the death penalties to be carried out. But Libyan prime minister, Shukri Ghanem, insisted that the fate of the Benghazi Six was entirely a juridical matter. In a statement broadcast on the Qatar TV channel Al Jazeera, Mr Ghanem said that all efforts should now be focused on the infected children, "who are subject to a death sentence each day". The families of the infected children also demanded compensation for the actions taken by the convicted medics: figures of up to $10million per family have been mentioned — just the level of compensation offered by Libya for the families of the 270 victims of the Lockerbie disaster.

On May 3, 2006, the Bulgarian independent daily newspaper Novinar published a set of 12 cartoons mocking Gaddafi, Libyan justice and the Bulgarian government's 'quiet diplomacy' vis-à-vis the HIV trial. Publication of the cartoons caused outrage in Tripoli and the Libyan ambassador in Sofia delivered a protest note to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry. In response, the Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister, Feim Chaushev, and President Parvanov apologized and distanced themselves from Novinar's cartoons.

Libyan reaction of December 28, 2006

The Libyan foreign ministry said international response to the convictions and death sentences was disrespectful to the Libyan people. The foreign ministry also said (as reported by the Washington Post) "The political stance expressed by the Bulgarian government, the EU countries and others is a clear bias to certain values that are likely to trigger wars, conflicts and cause enmity between religions and civilizations."

Scientific studies and reports

The WHO Report of Dr. P.N. Shrestha (1999)

A report that described the visit performed by the WHO team (Dr. P.N. Shrestha, Dr. A. Eleftherious and Dr. V. Giacomet) to Tripoli, Sirte and Benghazi the 28 December 1998 – 11 January 1999 while the Bulgarians were still on staff.

The report is apparently classified.

"This Report strongly suggests that the nosocomial HIV infections at the Al-Fateh Hospital were caused by multiple sources of infections. Moreover, the WHO team notes the lack of required supplies and equipment such as sharp container, sterilizer, incinerator, protective gloves, etc. The WHO has noted several similarities with previously documented outbreaks in children such as in Elista, USSR in 1988 and in Romania in 1990. In particular, the practice of using in dwelling intravenous catheters for injections in hospitalized children and sharing the same syringes without appropriate sterilization, would appear to be possible causes of the outbreak in Benghazi."

Montagnier/Colizzi 2003

Final Report of Prof. Luc Montagnier and Prof. Vittorio Colizzi

Montagnier and Colizzi, working from Libyan documents at Al-Fatih hospital, divided the patients into categories A–G based on case history. They reported that the first infection (patient zero) "was already present in the Benghazi Hospital in April 1997" and found that "According to the Al-Fateh digital List in the year 1997, at least 7 children were already found infected. At least 14 children admitted and discharged from the Hospital in January and February 1998 (before the Bulgarian staff under Court took in the positions in the Hospital) were found to be seropositive when the analyses were performed in late 1998."

Reviewing the history of the 7 patients who were infected by 1997 and were not admitted after 1998 (Category A, n. 308, 312, 340, 350, 356, 373, 385) the team theorized that patient n. 356 who was admitted 28 times between 1994–97 in Ward B, ISO and Ward A was the probable source of the infection. The comment is that Ward B was already heavy contaminated in November 1997

Three Children (Category B) were admitted and found seropositive after the 9 February 1999, date of departure of the Bulgarian staff. N. 349, 376, 384. The comment is that the infection was still active also in the absence of the Bulgarian staff.

For infections included in Categories A-B-C-D there is no evidence that correlate infections with the presence of the Bulgarian staff in the Al-Fateh Hospital (arrival: first week of March 1998; till 9 February 1999): total numbers are 32. But, more importantly, Categories A and C definitively prove that the HIV infection in the Al-Fateh Hospital was already active in 1997. The identity in the cluster of DNA sequences of the HIV in this nosocomial infections, published by the Swiss and by the Italian groups, strongly indicate that the infection already existed in 1997 and was capable to spread in 1998 and in 1999.

The report concluded with the statement:

• The HIV nosocomial infection of children which occurred at the Al-Fateh Hospital of Benghazi in 1997-1998-99 has presumably originated from the use of injection material contaminated by blood of one child infected through unidentified horizontal or vertical (more probably) transmission. This putative zero patient was present already in the Hospital before April 1997 (first sequenced child), and the horizontal contamination of some children was already operating in 1997, in the year 1998, and still in March 1999 (last sequenced child). All samples sequenced from these children (1997-1998-1999) belong to a similar viral subtype, strongly indicating a common origin.

• The HIV strain responsible for this nosocomial infection belongs to the subtype A/G, a recombinant form of virus frequent in Central and West Africa. The transmissibility virulence and pathogenicity of this particular A/G HIV-1 strain has been shown to be very high, as also suggested by the putative retroinfection from some infected children to mothers by breast feeding.

• The high number of cases (around 450), and the period of time of the nosocomial infection (over three years) can be explained by both the high specific infectivity of this strain and certain incorrect practices used by the medical and nursing staff at that time. This assumption is also supported by the high percentage of infected nurses in the Al-Fateh Hospital (two nurses as opposed to a total number of 50 cases of infection in hospital workers all over the world after 20 years of HIV circulation). Alteration of the specific guidelines established to avoid nosocomial infections (not only for HIV but also for HCV), a large introduction of invasive procedures, the shortage of disposable materials leading to the re-use of injection material, are all possible reasons which may explain this massive nosocomial infection.

• No evidence has been found for a deliberated injection of HIV contaminated material (bioterrorism). Epidemiological stratification, according to admission time, of the data on seropositivity and results of molecular analysis are strongly against this possibility.

The prosecution refuted the Montagnier/Colizzi report with a response from a five member panel of Libyan experts. This panel discounted the Montagnier/Colizzi because there was no proof that there had ever been syringe reuse in any Libyan hospitals. Additionally the Libyan panel stated that indwelling intravenous catheters were not available in the hospital and were never imported. The Libyan panel also concluded that if such improper practices were being had been taking place, there would have been widespread and serious outbreaks over a much longer period of time in contrast to the current instance. On the basis of the Libyan experts findings, The Montagnier/Colizzi report was not admitted into evidence.

Colizzi then submitted a letter to the President of the Court of Justice contending that he and Montagnier found the report of prosecutors panel unscientific and pointed out that all the data that the Libyans referred to as "inconsistent" was actually the data collected from the Libyan side. He concluded by stating that

Our impression is that the goal of this home-made report was to displace the responsibilities of nosocomial HIV infection from the health care people of the Hospital to the foreign Bulgarian personnel. Of course the latter personnel may share part of this responsibility, in using or accepting incorrect practices, but it does not mean a deliberate action of poisoning children.

Final report by the Libyan National Experts Committee

The brief report is given in .

Genetic analysis study published in Nature

On December 7, 2006, the influential science journal Nature published a new study which examined the mutation history of the HIV found in blood samples from some of the children, and found that the strain had been present in Libya well before the Benghazi Six arrived, based on the rate of genetic mutation in viruses. This added support to the earlier work of Prof. Luc Montagnier and Prof. Vittorio Colizzi. The news broke on December 6, and was quickly published across the globe. As of January 4, 2007 the Libyan government had not yet responded to the study, but the head of the Association of the HIV infected children in the country claimed that the study had no scientific value.

Timeline of Key Events

See and

See also

• List of Libyan children in HIV trial in Libya
• Muammar al-Gaddafi

References

This article has an unclear citation style. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

1. Perrin; et al. (10 July 2001). "Nosocomial Outbreak of Multiple Bloodborne Viral Infections". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 184: 369–372. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |quotes= and |month= (help); Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
2. "Annan 'Concerned' on Libya AIDS Sentence". Washington Post. 2006-12-25. Retrieved 2006-12-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. "Libya to execute HIV medics". CNN.com. 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2006-12-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. "Libyan court to rule on HIV case". Al Jazeera. 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2006-12-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. "Libya condemns foreign pressure in HIV case". Washington Post. 2006-12-29. Retrieved 2006-12-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. author, unknown (November 1998 Issue 78). "Banned "La" magazine Aids expose'" (Reprint). former "La" magazine Benghazi, Libya. Retrieved 2006-12-23. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. http://www.novinite.com/newsletter/print.php?id=56771
8. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L15241313.htm
9. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4935024.stm
10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6192599.stm
11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6192883.stm
12. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1935469,00.html
13. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/11/14/libya12013.htm
14. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1935469,00.html
15. http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=53178
16. http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?r=1&catid=146&ch=0&newsid=78811
17. http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=56679
18. The Guardian.
19. novinite.
20. novinite.
21. Reuters.
22. Yahoo!
23. NY Times.
24. Nature.
25. http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=57381
26. http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=57040
27. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=1048104&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
28. http://www.novinite.com/newsletter/print.php?id=51534
29. http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=72&ch=0&newsid=71374
30. http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=33&idsub=124&id=1823
31. http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?focus=hot&hotid=758
32. http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=146&ch=0&newsid=79635
33. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6196913.stm
34. "Final Report of Prof. Luc Montagnier and Prof. Vittorio Colizzi to Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on the Nosocomial HIV infection at the Al-Fateh Hospital, Benghazi, Libya" (PDF). 2003-4-7. Retrieved 2006-12-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
35. "Molecular epidemiology: HIV-1 and HCV sequences from Libyan outbreak". Nature.com. 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2006-12-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
36. "Molecular HIV evidence backs accused medics". Nature.com. 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2006-12-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
37. "The last-ditch bid to save the Tripoli Six". The Herald. 2006-12-07. Retrieved 2006-12-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
38. "Libya Denies Newest Evidence for Bulgarian Nurses' Innocence". Novinite.com. 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2006-12-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Petition in Support of The Bulgarian Nurses, Latest News on the trial
• NY Times article with evidence, December 20, 2006
• Medics sentenced to death in Libya (Nature News), 19 December 2006
• Nature Special Report: 'A Shocking Lack of Evidence'
• Al Jazeera story December 19, 2006
• Guardian update December 17, 2006
• Reuters alert December 16, 2006
• Chronology up to December 6, 2006, by Reuters
• The Trial in Libya - extensive chronology up to December, 2004
• Medical Workers' Trial is Test Case for Libya's Progress - December 13, 2006
• Form to send an email to Libyan officials
• The HIV Libya case resource page, October 2006 by Declan Butler, senior reporter at Nature
• Updates on the HIV trial in Libya, by Declan Butler, senior reporter at Nature
• Nature special focus on Libya case
• Documentary by Mickey Grant about the Bulgarian Nurses in Libya
• Der Spiegel newsarticle of 9 November 2005
• Quiet diplomacy is not enough, an article by the British Medical Journal.
• Template:Fr icon Letter from Luc Montagnier to Muammar al-Qaddafi after the death sentence
• Template:Fr icon Interview with the professor Luc Montagnier
• Template:Fr icon European parliament report on human rights in Libya (PDF format, 32 KB)
• Amnesty International report on human rights in Libya
• Physicians for Human Rights campaign - lobbying on behalf of the accused
• The Bulgarian Medics Solidarity Project - activist group in Britain lobbying to free the accused
• Libya lifts 'HIV medics' sentence
• Relief over Libya medics reprieve
• New trial for Libyan HIV medics
• Pictures and profiles of the defendants
• Sending Christmas cards to the nurses

• HIV/AIDS
• Libyan law
• History of Libya
• Foreign relations of Libya
• Foreign relations of Bulgaria
• History of Bulgaria
• Human rights abuses
• Pan Am Flight 103