Gaddafi couple to sue Geneva authorities

Libya is turning the pressure up on Switzerland again, in the wake of last summer's arrest of one of the sons of its leader, Moammar Gaddafi.

“Hannibal” Gaddafi and his wife, along with the Libyan state, filed a civil lawsuit against the Geneva authorities in a Geneva court on Wednesday.

They are claiming damages for the “disproportionate” way in which they were treated by the Geneva police who detained them in their hotel in July, after receiving complaints that they had seriously mistreated two of their servants.

The couple were released on bail after two days, and charges against them were dropped in September after the servants withdrew their complaint, having reached a financial arrangement with Hannibal.

“Police did not hesitate to use physical force and act with brutality despite a lack of resistance” and along with the justice authorities “deliberately chose to inflict on Mr Gaddafi the most humiliating treatment possible”, Swiss television quoted the complaint as saying.

The claimants also say that the Geneva authorities did not comply with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic standards, had set an “astronomical” bail and had refused to act on a complaint of theft made by the Gaddafi couple.

Relations between the two countries have been strained ever since the arrest, with Libya taking a number of retaliatory measures against Switzerland.

Lars Knuchel, spokesman for the Swiss foreign ministry, said: “The case has been filed with the Geneva courts and it is a good thing.” The authorities in Geneva have consistently backed the actions of their police.

The Swiss lawyer for the Gaddafi couple said they were claiming SFr50,000 ($43,000) in moral compensation and SFr470,00 in material damages.

swissinfo with agencies