The AIDS scandal in Libya concerns the trial, conviction and the death sentence imposed by a Libyan court against the Benghazi six: five Bulgarian nurses (Kristiyana Valtcheva, Nasya Nenova, Valentina Siropulo, Valya Chervenyashka and Snezhana Dimitrova) and one Palestinian physician (Ashraf al-Hajuj, alias al-Hadjudj). The court convicted the six medics of causing an HIV epidemic among hundreds of children in a Benghazi hospital, obtained confessions allegedly by torture and sentenced them to death by firing squad. The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is defined as a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the depletion of the immune system caused... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted felon as a punishment for a crime (often called a capital offence or a capital crime). ... A nurse is a health care professional who is engaged in the practice of nursing. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Physician examining a child The word physician should not be confused with physicist, which means a scientist in the area of physics. ... Human immunodeficiency virus, commonly called HIV, is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital components of the human immune system such as CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. ... In epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people) is a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is expected, based on recent experience (the number of new cases in the population during a... Benghazi (Arabic بنغازي, transliterated Banġāzī) is a seaport in Libya, Africa. ... The Iron Maiden of Nuremberg was an infamous torture device. ... Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, especially in times of war. ...

Overseas reactions

The international community and medical authorities dispute the convictions and widely agree that the HIV infections were caused by pre-existing poor hygiene at the children's hospital, 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 [1]. On September 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov vowed to work for the release of the medics on his trip to Libya in November [2]. 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 [3] [4]. Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices. ... The scapegoat was a goat that was driven off into the wilderness as part of the ceremonies of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in Judaism during the times of the Temple in Jerusalem. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Richard Green Dick Lugar (born April 4, 1932) is the senior United States Senator from Indiana. ... U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, in Russian Сергей Викторович Лавров, is the minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qaddafi 1 (Arabic: معمر القذافي Mu`ammar al-QadhdhāfÄ«) (born circa 1942 near Sirte, Libya), has been the leader of Libya since 1969. ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ...

Appeal to the Supreme Court

The Libyan Supreme Court, having heard the appeal by the medics against their conviction, was originally due to deliver its judgment on May 31, 2005, but first postponed it to November 15 and then again until January 31, 2006 [5]. However, in late December, it was announced that the judgment would be delivered on December 25 (Christmas Day) [6]. (The nurses were first sentenced to death on May 6, 2004, when Bulgaria was celebrating major Christian festivities of St George's Day [7].) The Supreme Court duly quashed the death sentence imposed on the Benghazi six and ordered a re-trial, at a date to be announced.[8] May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining, as the last day of May. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... St Georges Day is celebrated in several nations of whom Saint George is the patron saint, including England, Georgia, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Catalonia. ...

Quid pro quo

Although he concurred with the guilty verdict, Gaddafi had proposed releasing the six medics if, in return, the Pan Am Flight 103 bomber Megrahi, serving a life sentence in a Scottish jail, were to be released and $5.7 billion compensation were paid to Libya for the care of the HIV-infected patients. Bulgaria refused, on the grounds that it would be admitting the guilt of the medics. The European Union is currently (June 7, 2005) engaged in negotiations to provide assistance to Libya, but not directly linked to the case of the six medics [9]. On August 18, 2005 Libya recommended that Bulgaria should negotiate on the amount of the payment [10]. The next week the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) delegate visited Libya and saw the medics [11]. On August 31, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin stated that Bulgaria would send humanitarian aid, while not acknowledging the guilt of the medics [12][13]. On September 8 it was announced that Libya had prepared a list of forty items (non-monetary) that should be sent to it as aid, and that Bulgaria could supply twenty four of them [14]. The nose, containing the flight crew and first-class section, landed in a farmers field near a tiny church in Tundergarth, Scotland Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways third daily regularly scheduled transatlantic flight from Londons Heathrow International Airport to New Yorks John F... Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi (born April 1, 1952) is a former Libyan intelligence officer, head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines, and director of the Center for Strategic Studies in Tripoli. ... USD redirects here. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg The Council of Europe is an international organisation of 46 member states in the European region. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ...

Case history

The six accused were charged with:

• committing actions on the territory of Libya which led to uncontrolled killing of people in an attempt on the state's security (punishable with death)
• participating in a conspiracy and team negotiation for commission of a murder;
• causing an epidemic by injecting 393 children with HIV in the children’s hospital Al-Fatih in Benghazi (punishable with death);
• acting contrary to Libyan standards and traditions (including usage of alcohol)

The five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian Ashraf al-Hadjudj arrived in Libya in 1998 to treat pediatric patients. Initially twenty three foreign medical personnel were arrested, most Bulgarian, but seventeen were released and have returned to Bulgaria. Additionally, eleven Libyan nationals were arrested and charged. 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 remains in Libya awaiting an exit visa. In epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people) is a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is expected, based on recent experience (the number of new cases in the population during a... Injection has multiple meanings: In mathematics, the term injection refers to an injective function. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-kukhul الكحول, al meaning the and kukhul meaning spirit, the chemical) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Case 44/1999 of People's Court of Libya

(February 7, 2000 - February 17, 2002) February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The case began without Bulgaria being notified. It 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-level Libyan court system. As a legal term, a conspiracy is an agreement of two or more people to commit a crime, or to accomplish a legal end through illegal actions. ...

• The confessions of some of the medics, and the contention of Colonel Gaddafi, that the accused worked as CIA and Mossad agents were considered to be the basis of 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".
• The Libyan officers who obtained confessions from the medics admitted that the medics had been tortured into confessing.

The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Official seal of the Mossad ▶ (Hebrew: המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, Institute for Intelligence and Special Assignments) is an Israeli intelligence agency, commonly referred to as Mossad. ... The Iron Maiden of Nuremberg was an infamous torture device. ... Presumption of innocence is an essential right that the accused enjoys in criminal trials in all countries respecting human rights. ...

Case 213/2002 of the Criminal Court in Benghazi

(July 8, 2003 - 2004) July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• 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 the HIV virus) 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.

Luc Montagnier (born 1932) is a French virologist. ... Professor Vittorio Colizzi is an Italian virologist and one of the most eminent HIV/AIDS researchers in Europe. ... Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Case 607/2003 of the Criminal Court in Benghazi

(200? – May 6, 2004) May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. It has been suggested that Execution by firing squad in the United Kingdom be merged into this article or section. ... July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• 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.

2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → January 31, 2004 The United States defence budget is set to exceed US$400 billion next year—an almost 7% increase—according to budget proposals inadvertently posted on the Pentagons website. ... Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization with the stated purpose of promoting all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ...

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 cannot accept any new evidence, although the Bulgarian party 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). The Supreme Court announced that the death sentences were revoked and ordered a new trial. Nickname: none Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: none Location Position of Tripoli in Libya Government Country  Municipality Libya  Tarabulus Geographical characteristics Area n/a km² Land n/a km² Water n/a km² Population 1,682,000 (Agglomeration) [1] Total (1996) 990,000 Density n/a/km² Latitude 32°54′ N... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in Leap years). ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining, as the last day of May. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ...

Counter-trial of police

In an apparent bid to relax criticism of Libya, authorities arrested nine policemen and a doctor and charged them with torture of the accused Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor in order to extract confessions. Lawyers for the accused medical personnel have asked for 5 million Libyan dinars as compensation. Much of the evidence is based on medical reports prepared by authorities from Bulgaria. 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 were all acquitted. The Iron Maiden of Nuremberg was an infamous torture device. ... This article is about the practice of confession in the Christian faith. ... A 25,000 Iraqi dinar note printed after the fall of Saddam Hussein. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Civil lawsuit

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 a compensation of almost 12 million US dollars.

The civil lawsuit against the six medics was postponed until December 27, 2005, which is expected to be after the conclusion of their last appeal trial [15]. December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 [16] [17]. October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. The conference is sometimes referred to by European sources as Common Strategy on the EU countries, and 12 Middle East and North African countries. ...

External links

• Der Spiegel newsarticle of 9 November 2005
• The Trial in Libya - overview from the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)
• Quiet diplomacy is not enough, an article by the British Medical Journal.
• Letter from Luc Montagnier to Muammar al-Qaddafi after the death sentence (original, in French)
• Interview with the professor Luc Montagnier (in French)
• European parliament report on human rights in Libya (in French, 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
• Sending Christmas cards to the nurses
• Libya lifts 'HIV medics' sentence