EU hopes for ‘Tripoli six’ reprieve

The EU is pinning its hopes on a meeting of Libya’s supreme judicial council on Monday (16 July) to overturn the death sentences confirmed on six medical workers yesterday (11 July).

"We regret that these decisions have been made, but I also want to express my confidence that a solution will be found," European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said.

"I firmly hope that clemency will be granted to the medical staff," said External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

Libya’s supreme court confirmed the sentences following an appeal by the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor after a court last December found them guilty of deliberately infecting more than 400 children with HIV.

Ferrero-Waldner said that she was "positive" about the earlier announcement by the Qaddafi Development Foundation, a charity headed by Said al-Islam, the son of the Libyan president, that a settlement had been reached to resolve the crisis.

A spokesman for the foundation, Salah Abdessalem, did not say how the settlement reached with families of the HIV-infected children would affect the case but the announcement was made before the death sentences were confirmed.

"We are working on this," said Portuguese Prime Minister José Socrates, whose country currently holds the EU presidency. "We are very much hoping that there will be a happy ending."

Franco Frattini, European commissioner for justice, freedom and security, said that the situation was "getting more difficult".

"I would like to say that I see a final positive outcome but I don’t see it," he said, adding: "It probably can be overcome by superior political instances."

The European Parliament also debated the issue yesterday. "I am greatly disturbed by this news, which is distressing for everybody, especially of course for the nurses and the doctor but in particular for their friends and relatives," said Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering.

"I call upon Portuguese Prime Minister Socrates, as president of the EU Council, to seek assurances that the death penalty will not be carried out," said Socialist Party leader Martin Schulz.

The EU is pinning its hopes on a meeting of Libya’s supreme judicial council on Monday (16 July) to overturn the death sentences confirmed on six medical workers yesterday (11 July).