ITUC and ETUC protest Libya death sentences

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)

ITUC and ETUC protest against Libya death sentences for medical staff

Brussels, 19 December 2006 (ITUC Online): The International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC) and its European counterpart the European Trade
Union Confederation (ETUC) have written jointly to Libyan President
Muammar Qaddafi to protest at the death sentences passed on five
Bulgarian nurses, Kristiana Vulcheva, Nasya Nenova, Valentina Siropulo,
Valya Chervensashka and Snezhana Dimitrova, and Palestinian doctor
Ashraf al-Haiui.

The six medical workers were found guilty on Tuesday of deliberately
infecting some 400 children with the HIV virus despite clear evidence
that the children were exposed to the virus before the medics began to
work at the Benghazi hospital concerned and against a background of
alleged torture and rape of the accused during their detention.

The ITUC and ETUC General Secretaries Guy Ryder and John Monks expressed
shock and dismay at the denial of due justice in their letter to
President Qadaffi, and called upon him to ensure that basic human
rights, dignity and international standards of justice are extended to
the six workers.

Libya's Supreme Court, which had previously ordered a retrial when the
accused were initially found guilty one year ago, is expected to review
Tuesday's court decision.

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