A second round of legal proceedings against two Swiss nationals held in Libya has been postponed, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.
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Max Göldi and Rachid Hamdani had been scheduled to be tried on Saturday and Sunday respectively on charges of conducting illegal economic activities.
Their trials will take place on January 2 and January 3, spokesman Erik Reumann said.
The two men have already been convicted of visa violations in a dispute stemming back to the July 2008 arrest of a son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi in Geneva.
The two businessmen, who worked for Swiss companies in Libya, were on November 30 sentenced to 16 months in prison and fined the equivalent of around SFr1,560 ($1,500). It is unclear when their appeals will take place.
They have been held since July 19, 2008 despite mediation efforts by Swiss authorities and protests from international human rights groups.
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Hostages in Libya returned to Swiss embassy
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The Swiss citizens “are as well as can be expected under the circumstances”, the ministry said in a statement. The men were returned to the embassy without an explanation. It is unclear whether they will now be allowed to leave the country. Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey welcomed their re-emergence, and said she had spoken by…
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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…
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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…
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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.