On Tuesday in Geneva, Samuel Kobia, general-secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), appealed to Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi to show clemency in the cases of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor awaiting execution for allegedly infecting hundreds of children with HIV. A Libyan court is expected to rule on an appeal of the sentences on May 31. The defendants, who have spent six years in prison, insist they are innocent and blame the HIV infections of more than 380 children on poor hospital hygiene. Three of the accused initially confessed but later said they had done so only under torture. Their case against 10 alleged torturers is due for a ruling by a Libyan court on June 7. "Capital punishment operates against the Christian principles of compassion and love dear to all religions," Kobia wrote. "WCC member churches throughout the world would appreciate the gesture of clemency on the part of Your Excellency." WCC represents more than 340 Christian denominations.

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