Dublin, 06/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - The president of the Council of the EU, Brian Cowen has informed the Libyan minister for foreign affairs of the European Union's consternation at the death sentence pronounced for six Bulgarian member of a medical team employed in the Benghazi hospital in Libya. After four years spent on trial, six people have been found guilty of having spread AIDS in a paediatric hospital. Nine Libyans were acquitted in the case. Libyan minister Abderrahman Chalgham, however, explained that his country's legal system was independent, but according to a spokesperson, the minister is "personally opposed" to the death sentence. Talks took place during a meeting between the minister and the European Troika at a backdrop to the Troika meeting with the Arab group.
This affair risks compromising the re-establishment of Euro-Libyan relations, which have been developing since the visit of Colonel Gadhafi to Brussels. Brussels is still expecting a letter from Tripoli on this subject. According to reliable Arab diplomatic sources a brief letter has been submitted, but the Libyan minister denied this, and repeated that the issue still had to be discussed in Libya. The minister also affirmed that the "Barcelona process was not working". He described it as nothing but a "confrontation area between Israel and Arabs". The question of the letter risks, however, assuming further importance, following the sentencing of the six Bulgarians. Brian Cowen insisted that they be granted "accelerated appeals procedures".