Libya

Human Rights Watch Researchers Saw Ibn Al-Sheikh Al-Libi in Late April

May 11, 2009 -- (New York) – The Libyan authorities should carry out a full and transparent investigation of the reported suicide of the Libyan prisoner Ali Mohamed al-Fakheri, also known as Ibn al-Sheikh al-Libi, Human Rights Watch said today.

Al-Libi, who was held in secret US and Egyptian detention from late 2001 to at least 2005, was found dead in his cell in Abu Salim prison in Tripoli. Human Rights Watch spoke with him briefly in the Tripoli prison on April 27, though he refused to be interviewed.    » read more »

Senators Urge Libya To Pay Victims' Families of Libyan Terrorism

December 10, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a coalition of eight Senators, led by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking her to use an upcoming diplomatic visit to urge Libya to fulfill its obligations to American victims of Libyan terrorism. Lautenberg was joined by Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Chris Dodd (D-CT).    » read more »

December 10, 2007 -- Washington, DC—Today, a coalition of eight Senators, led by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking her to use an upcoming diplomatic visit to urge Libya to fulfill its obligations to American victims of Libyan terrorism. Lautenberg was joined by Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Chris Dodd (D-CT).    » read more »

Senators Say U.S. Should Not Pursue Diplomatic Recognition of Libya Until Victims of Libyan Terror Are Compensated

July 12, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced he would lead a Senate coalition, including Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), to block the confirmation of Gene Kretz to be Ambassador to Libya.    » read more »

17 July 2007 -- The death sentence of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with the AIDS virus, HIV, has been commuted to life in prison. The Bulgarians' effort now is to get the nurses repatriated.

The ruling came after the families of the children each received one million dollars in compensation.

The families agreed to drop their demand for the execution of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor charged with having infected with HIV more 400 Libyan children at a hospital in the northeastern coastal city of Benghazi.    » read more »

11 July 2007 -- Libya's Supreme Court is expected to announce Wednesday whether five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian physician will be executed on charges of injecting more than 400 Libyan children with the AIDS virus.

The medics were sentenced to death in 2004 and have appealed the decision. They deny the charges and say they were tortured into confessing.

International health experts say the children likely contracted HIV from poor sanitary conditions at a hospital in the city of Benghazi. A number of the children have already died.    » read more »

N.J. Sen. Says Libya Has Acted in Bad Faith in dealing with Families of Pan Am Flight 103 and LaBelle Discotheque Bombing Victims

June 28, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved language Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) crafted to block funding for a U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya until the victims of Pan Am Flight 103 and LaBelle Discotheque terrorist attacks are fully compensated by the Libyan Government for their suffering at the hands of terrorists in the 1980s.    » read more »

5/21/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Air Force officials recently returned from Libya with the remains of 72 deceased Americans, believed to be family members of Airmen once stationed at Wheelus Air Base located outside of Tripoli, the nation's capital.

Mark Blair, the chief of Air Force Mortuary Affairs, was one of the experts called to fly to Tripoli and head the project.    » read more »

Senate Coalition Requests Info on Bush Administration's Plan to Hold Libya Accountable for Past Terrorist Activity

May 8, 2007 -- Washington, DC - Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Chris Dodd (D-CT), and Charles Schumer (D-NY) today sent a letter to Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte requesting information on his recent visit with Libyan Leader Colonel Qaddafi.    » read more »

Repressive regimes trying to silence writers on World Wide Web

04 May 2007 -- United Nations -- The Internet is a key component of press freedom in the 21st century, yet Internet journalists and bloggers increasingly are coming under attack by repressive regimes trying to block the free flow of information and expression, say journalists and activists.    » read more »