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Geneva prosecutor refuses to drop Gaddafi case

Geneva's public prosecutor has excluded the possibility of dropping legal proceedings against Moammar Gaddafi's son Hannibal and his wife for political reasons.

Libya continues to demand an apology for the arrest of the couple in Geneva last month and the withdrawal of the case against the pair, who are charged with inflicting physical injuries and using threats and force against two domestic staff.

Prosecutor Daniel Zappelli told journalists on Wednesday that his office had not been subject to pressure from either the Swiss foreign ministry or the Swiss Mission to the United Nations to issue an apology or to drop proceedings.

For the moment the only way the charges will be dropped is if Gaddafi’s two staff members, who accuse the couple of attacking them, withdraw their complaint.

However, one of the servant’s is currently without news of his mother or brother who were arrested in Libya and are being held against their will in the country, explained the plaintiffs’ lawyer.

“If the hostages are freed, my clients do not exclude the possibility of a mediation in this case,” he said.

The foreign ministry has been involved in intense diplomatic efforts to seek progress in the row between Switzerland and Libya.

Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife, who both deny the allegations, left Switzerland after being granted bail.

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