Medics Freed After Eight-Year Ordeal in Libya

Published July 24, 2007 at 4:00 PM EDT

Six foreign medics are resting up at the Bulgarian presidential residence after a harrowing eight-year ordeal in Libya. The five nurses and a Palestinian-born doctor, who is now a Bulgarian citizen, were pardoned on their arrival in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

Libya had convicted the medics of deliberately infecting more than 400 Libyan children with the HIV virus, although most international health experts dismissed the accusation. They had been imprisoned since 1999 and have always maintained that they are innocent.

One week ago, journalist Matthew Brunwasser reported from Sofia about the commutation of their death sentences to life in prison. Now he talks with Robert Siegel.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

Protect Connecticut Public