Swiss citizens appealing against a 16-month prison sentence in Libya have appeared before a Tripoli court.
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Max Göldi and Rachid Hamdani went before the court on Saturday and Sunday respectively, before returning to the Swiss embassy.
The judge announced he would issue a verdict on Göldi’s appeal in March. A date has not been given in Hamdani’s case.
The pair were convicted of visa violations and carrying out illegal business activities last November. Both appealed against the ruling.
They were arrested amid a diplomatic spat between Switzerland and Libya following the arrest of one of Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi’s sons in a Geneva hotel in July 2008.
They were released later that month and sought refuge in the Swiss embassy. The last time they left the compound, in mid-September for medical tests, they were taken by authorities to an undisclosed location in Tripoli – something Bern called a “kidnapping”.
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Second Swiss attends Libya court hearing
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Max Göldi appeared at an appeal hearing four days after another Swiss citizen, Rachid Hamdani, made his first appearance in a Tripoli court. Göldi has returned to the Swiss embassy, the foreign ministry said. Swiss radio has reported that Göldi was accompanied by foreign diplomats, including a representative from Germany. Göldi and Hamdani have been…
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An appeals court told Rachid Hamdani that it had reserved a decision on his appeal until January 31, Hamdani’s lawyer told the AFP news agency. “Mr Hamdani was present at the proceeding and was able to return to the embassy after the hearing,” said Salah Zahaf. Hamdani and fellow businessman Max Göldi have been prohibited…
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Max Göldi and Rachid Hamdani are scheduled in early January to be tried for a second time in Libyan court, this time over business and tax violations. One thing is already evident: the Libyans have ignored their own laws handling the case. “The rules for a fair trial are very clear,” said Daniel Graf, a…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.