Libyan Court Upholds Death for Nurses

(NEWSER) - Moammar Gadhafi's son burnished his pro-Western image yesterday by admitting that Libya had tortured 5 nurses and a doctor once accused of spreading HIV among children, the AP reports. Seif al-Islam Gadhafi conceded that the "Benghazi six" were electrocuted and threatened after their 1999 imprisonment, but he did not apologize, and even accused one of exaggerating the torture he endured. More»

After eight years, the nurses go home

(NEWSER) - Six medics imprisoned by Libya on charges of infecting children with HIV are finally free today. EU officials struck a deal with Libya after years of negotiations, and the five nurses and one doctor were extradited to Bulgaria, where they were immediately pardoned by the Bulgarian president. In return, the EU will begin to normalize trade and political dealings with Libya. More»

Executions called off after payments to infected kids' families

(NEWSER) - The Libyan government today spared the lives of the foreign medical workers sentenced to die for infecting hundreds of children with HIV. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor had their sentences commuted to life in prison after the families of the infected children each accepted $1 million and withdrew their demand for execution, the AP reports. More»

Just under 100 attend funeral of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi

(AP) - The only man convicted in the 1988 bombing on Pan Am Flight 103 has been buried with little fanfare near the Libyan capital with just under 100 family members and passers-by in attendance. Today's quiet funeral in Tripoli stands in stark contrast to the hero's welcome Abdelbaset al-Megrahi received almost three years ago from patron Moammar Gadhafi upon his return after serving eight years of a life sentence in Scotland. There were no government officials or security guards present at the funeral, just male relatives and strangers who happened to be going by. They prayed at the grave in traditional Islamic custom. More»

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi's lived almost 3 years after his release to Libya

(NEWSER) - Nearly three years after he was released on compassionate grounds to his homeland of Libya, convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi has died, Reuters reports, citing a statement by Megrahi's brother. Initially given six months to live, Megrahi's health had deteriorated rapidly in recent days after a long battle with cancer, his brother said. The former Libyan intelligence officer, who was the only one convicted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 that claimed 270 lives, was 59. More»