Families of Libyan children infected with AIDS have accepted compensation topping 400 million dollars, a Libyan foundation confirmed on Sunday, a move that could pave the way for a death sentence to be lifted against six foreign medics.
Libya's top legal body is expected to examine the deal on Monday, and could rule that the five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor on death row for infecting the children may serve prison time rather than face execution.
"The families have accepted compensation in the order of a million dollars for each victim," said Salah Abdessalem, director of the charitable Kadhafi Foundation run by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam.
The six medics, who all proclaim their innocence, have been on death row in Libya since 2004 after being convicted of deliberately infecting 438 children with HIV-tainted blood. Fifty six have since died.
The death sentence was confirmed by the supreme court on Wednesday, eight years after the medics were first detained.
Libya's Supreme Judicial Council, which is due to meet on Monday, can modify the supreme court verdict or even cancel it.
But Idriss Lagha, the spokesman for the families, insisted on Sunday: "An agreement will not be signed until the money has been paid to the families."
He said the number of victims had increased to almost 460 because a number of mothers had been infected by their children. - DDNEWS India
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
