Libya renewed its demands for compensations for the Bulgarian nurses' freedom

On August 18, 2005, a high-standing Libyan official urged Bulgaria to start negations for indemnities with the families of the HIV-infected Libyan children to ensure the release of five nurses.

Libyan ambassador to Britain Mohamed Abdul Quasim Al-Zwai discussed in Tripoli the case of the five Bulgarian nurses with American and British diplomats. Al-Zwai said that the best solution is a compromise with the families of the victims. The diplomat discussed the case with the British Ambassador to Tripoli, Anthony Layden, and a representative of the US liaison office in Tripoli.

The solution is to conclude an accord directly with the families. Anything else would be a waste of time, the Libyan Ambassador said.

“The payment of indemnity to the families is a humanitarian matter that I by no means link with any guilt of the Bulgarian medical workers in Libya,” Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivailo Kalfin said, speaking on Libya's request that Bulgaria should pay indemnities in exchange of our medics' freedom.

PACE envoys visited Tripoli

On August 22, 2005, within the sidelines of their visit to Libya, PACE representatives Mr. Tony Lloyd, Chairman of the UK Delegation to PACE and the Assembly's rapporteur on the case of the Bulgarian medical professionals in Libya, and Mrs. Valerie Clamer, senior expert at the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, had talk with UK Ambassador to Tripoli, which was also attended by the Bulgarian Ambassador to Libya Zdravko Velev.

On August 23, 2005, Mr. Lloyd and Mrs. Clamer conferred with Dr. Zdravko Georgiev and the Bulgarian nurses' lawyer Osman Bizanti in the Bulgarian ambassador's residence.

Rapporteur Tony Lloyd could not meet the Bulgarian nurses in prison because the meeting was linked by the Libyan side with an obligatory meeting with the families of the HIV-infected children in Benghazi. These are two different issues and they should not be mixed together, Tony Lloyd stated before the Libyan representatives.

During his meetings with Libya's Foreign Minister Abdel Rahman Shalkam and Minister of Public Security Nasr al Mubruk and Deputy Justice Minister Mohammad Zikri, PACE rapporteur Tony Lloyd voiced his concern over the fate of the Bulgarian nurses.

Bulgaria prepares humanitarian relief

On the basis of contacts with the Libyan authorities, on September 7, 2005, Bulgaria received from Tripoli a list of 40 most needed products that could be sent as humanitarian relief to the combat with the HIV-epidemics and the treatment of the HIV-infected in the country, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lyubomir Kyuchukov announced, adding Bulgaria covers 24 of the listed items, and that the country is capable of sending medicines and equipment. Deputy Minister Kyuchukov added the negotiations on the relief did not include the provision of funds.

Ambassador Ivan Petkov met PACE Secretary General Bruno Haller

On September 7, 2005, Bulgaria's Resident Representative to the Council of Europe Ambassador Ivan Petkov met with PACE Secretary General Bruno Haller.

The talks focused on the preparation of the report of the British MEP Tony Lloyd on the case of the Bulgarian nurses on death row in Libya after his Tripoli visit on August 22–23, 2005. Bruno Haller pointed out PACE fully supports the conclusions and recommendations of Tony Lloyd's report, which will be adopted by PACE Legal Affairs Committee on September 16, 2005, in Paris.

Silent protest in front the Libyan embassy in Paris

On September 12, 2005, representatives of the international non-government organization “Lawyers without borders” staged a protest in front the Libyan embassy in Paris because of Tripoli's refusal to allow its representatives access to the trial against the Bulgarian nurses. Among the protest participants was also a Bulgarian doctor, working in France. University lecturers and representatives of other associations also took part in it.

“Lawyers Without Borders”