A French lawyer who helped secure the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor from a Libyan prison will now defend two Swiss nationals held in Tripoli.
This content was published on
1 minute
Emmanuel Altit is expected to travel to Libya in the next few days to work alongside a Libyan attorney to defend Max Göldi and Rachid Hamdani.
His knowledge of the Libyan system could help move the case of Göldi and Hamdani forward, analysts said.
The Bulgarians and Palestinian were imprisoned for eight years and sentenced to death by a Libyan court for deliberately conspiring to infect hundreds of children with HIV. They were freed and extradited in 2007.
On Sunday, Libya postponed an appeals hearing on visa violation charges for Hamdani, since the businessman failed to appear in court. It is unclear whether Göldi’s hearing set for Thursday will go ahead.
The two men were arrested in July 2008 only days after Geneva police briefly detained Moammar Gaddafi’s son Hannibal on charges that he and his wife had abused their domestic staff while staying at a luxury hotel in the Swiss city. Göldi and Hamdani are now residing at the Swiss embassy in Tripoli.
They are also facing charges of business and tax violations.
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.
Read more
More
Trials of hostages in Libya postponed
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry said this weekend that the trial of Göldi, set for January 2, would now begin on January 16, and that of Hamdani, set for January 3, had been rearranged for January 17. Göldi and Hamdani, who work for Swiss companies, have been prevented from leaving Libya since July 2008. On December…
This content was published on
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…
This content was published on
Rachid Hamdani and Max Göldi have been held in Libya since July 2008 after the arrest in Geneva of a son of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi on charges, later dropped, of mistreating two domestic employees The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed the sentences on Tuesday evening and said the men were tried in absentia and were…
This content was published on
On September 1, 1969, a small group of military officers led by then 27-year-old army officer Moammar Gaddafi overthrew Libya’s King Idris’ government. The revolutionary officers abolished the monarchy, and proclaimed the new republic. Gaddafi is to this day, referred to as the “Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution” in government statements and the…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.