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| Libya sentences medics to death | Libya sentences medics to death |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A Libyan court has sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for knowingly infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV. | A Libyan court has sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for knowingly infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV. |
| The medics have been in detention since 1999, during which time 52 of the 426 infected children have died of Aids. | The medics have been in detention since 1999, during which time 52 of the 426 infected children have died of Aids. |
| The nurses and doctor were sentenced to death in 2004, but the Supreme Court quashed the ruling after protests over the fairness of the trial. | The nurses and doctor were sentenced to death in 2004, but the Supreme Court quashed the ruling after protests over the fairness of the trial. |
| The defendants say they are being made scapegoats for unhygienic hospitals. | The defendants say they are being made scapegoats for unhygienic hospitals. |
| They are expected to have the right of appeal to the Supreme Court for a second time. | They are expected to have the right of appeal to the Supreme Court for a second time. |
| But that will be the last appeal allowed under Libyan law, defence lawyers said. | |
| The defence team told the court that the HIV virus was present in the hospital, in the town of Benghazi, before the nurses began working there in 1998. | |
| Celebrations | Celebrations |
| Western nations had backed the medics' case, calling for their release. | |
| Medical experts including the French co-discoverer of the HIV virus also testified on behalf of the medics. | |
| EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini quickly expressed his shock at the verdict and called for the decision to be reviewed, the AFP news agency reported. | |
| Judge Mahmoud Haouissa announced the verdict in a court in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. | Judge Mahmoud Haouissa announced the verdict in a court in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. |
| "In the name of the people and after reviewing the documents and hearing the arguments by lawyers of both sides, the court decided on death sentences," he said. | "In the name of the people and after reviewing the documents and hearing the arguments by lawyers of both sides, the court decided on death sentences," he said. |
| "They caused the spread of the disease that caused the death of more than one person." | "They caused the spread of the disease that caused the death of more than one person." |
| Relatives of the infected children began celebrating in court as the verdict was read out, reports said. | Relatives of the infected children began celebrating in court as the verdict was read out, reports said. |
| Some cried out in court, while others were gathered outside carrying banners. |