Geneva paper accepts Libya ruling

A Swiss newspaper which published controversial police mugshots of a son of Libya’s ruler has accepted the verdict of a Geneva court that the action was illegal.

The Tribune de Genève daily said on Wednesday that it would shortly publish the verdict in its printed edition and on its website.

“It is not a question of freedom of the press today, but the freedom of Max Göldi, an arbitrary victim of a dictator,” a statement by the editor in chief said.

Göldi, who is serving a four-month prison sentence for visa violations, is one of two businessmen prevented from leaving Libya since the arrest of Hannibal Gaddafi in Geneva in 2008.

Gaddafi and his wife were temporarily detained for allegedly abusing their staff in a Geneva hotel.

The Geneva court ruled last month that the publication of a police picture of him was illegal.

However the court rejected a claim by Gaddafi for financial compensation.

Gaddafi for his part said he was not satisfied with the court ruling.

Urs Geiser, swissinfo.ch