Families Visit Bulgarian Nurses in Libyan Jail

Five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya for allegedly infecting hospitalized children with HIV have reportedly been allowed to see relatives this month. "Their relatives have visited them every day since Jan. 10 and will continue to do so until Jan. 19," said Saleh Abdelsalam, director of the Kadhafi Foundation, which is headed by the son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi. The nurses, who have been held jailed for more than seven years along with a Palestinian doctor convicted of the same changes, last received regular family visits in December 2005. Libya has drawn international criticism because of the death sentences: These were originally handed down in 2004, thrown out by the nation's supreme court, then affirmed last month at the conclusion of a retrial. The defendants have maintained their innocence and say their confessions were extracted under torture. Medical experts testified the children were infected by poor hospital hygiene before the medics arrived in Libya. Defense attorneys vow a further appeal.

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