News
Kin urge EU to press Libya to free nurses
Relatives of Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya and EU parliamentarians urged the European Union to step up pressure on Tripoli to free them, saying statements of solidarity were no longer enough.The five nurses and a Palestinian doctor, who have been detained in Libya since 1999, were convicted in December of deliberately infecting hundreds of children at a Libyan hospital in the 1990s and sentenced to death.European Union newcomer Bulgaria and its allies say overwhelming scientific evidence shows the medics are innocent.Libya’s Supreme Court is due to rule on an appeal shortly.Gergana Uzunora, daughter of one of the nurses, Valya Chervenyashka, said it was time for EU states to step up the pressure, given Bulgaria was now a member of the 27-nation bloc."We want to see a greater level of accountability on the part of the European Union," she told a news briefing with representatives of all political groups in the European Parliament. "We want a broader commitment to concrete actions."Marian Georgiev, son of a Bulgarian doctor tried with the nurses but then freed, said statements of solidarity were no longer enough. "We don’t want to hear incantations. What we want is practical results and a mechanism that will ensure the survival of our relatives so that they can come back alive to Bulgaria." Graham Watson, leader of the Liberal Democrat group in European Parliament, noted that the plight of the nurses had garnered a fraction of the media attention given to the capture of 15 British sailors by Iran this year."I call on the European Union to mobilise all of its diplomatic resources in a concerted action to free these nurses and the Palestinian doctor," he said. Watson said EU states should not only examine what further trade or aid sanctions could be imposed on Libya but also summon the Libyan ambassador once a week to ask what progress there had been towards the freeing of the nurses. "We have to make clear to the Libyans that this is not an affair we are going to let lie," he said. "What we need is London and Paris and Berlin and Rome and every other of the 27 European capitals hammering this home on a weekly basis." In January, EU foreign ministers called for a fair and prompt resolution to the case, leading to an early release of the medics. They also held out the prospect of better ties with Libya if this happened. Diplomats said the ministers had to tread a delicate path to avoid aggravating the situation after Libya expressed anger over a resolution passed by the European Parliament urging EU states to review ties with the oil-rich north African country. Libya has indicated it may free the nurses if an agreement is reached to pay compensation to the families of the children. Tripoli wants 10 million euros ($13.59 million) for each infected child’s family. Western nations have offered about half a million euros per family, which Libya has rejected. The medics are now being sued for defamation by three Libyans who claim they falsely accused them of torture.BRUSSELS (Reuters)http://www.bahraintribune.com/