Libya postpones Bulgarian HIV trial again

The latest delay, to November 4, was granted at the request of the defence, which wanted more time to study the 1,600-page indictment, a spokeswoman for President Petar Stoyanov said.

A senior Foreign Ministry official praised the ruling.

“The Libyan court’s decision to postpone the trial again deserves praise as it shows the court respects the requests of the defence and acts according to the laws,” he said.

Defence lawyers had repeated a request to be allowed to call international medical experts as witnesses, the President’s spokeswoman said. The defence has argued such testimony is crucial for a fair trial.

The six medics are accused of deliberately infecting 393 Libyan children in a Benghazi hospital where they worked with blood products contaminated with the HIV virus.

The indictment said this was part of a conspiracy aimed at destabilising the Libyan state. Eight Libyans and a Palestinian face similar charges.

The case has evoked deep passions in Bulgaria where some media and the opposition have accused officials of moving too slowly to help the accused. Sofia at first expressed doubts about the objectivity of any trial, but later softened its tone and now says the verdict is likely to be fair.