Aids charge medics to face retrial

Libya’s supreme court today overturned death sentences against five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor on charges of infecting children with the HIV virus and ordered a retrial.

The order for a retrial appeared to be an attempt to end the stand-off between Libya and the West over the prosecution of the medics.

Bulgaria’s president said Saturday he was hopeful for a breakthrough in the case after a deal was reached between Libyan and European negotiators.

The case had poisoned Libyan leader General Gaddafi’s attempts to rebuild ties with the West.

Europe and the US accused Libya of making up the charges that the medics deliberately infected 400 children with the HIV virus at a hospital in the Libyan city of Benghazi.

The supreme court in Tripoli accepted the appeal by the medics and ordered a new trial be held at the Benghazi criminal court.