Libyan prosecutor
wants death penalty for accused nurses, doctor

A Libyan prosecutor wants five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor put to death for allegedly infecting more than 400 children with HIV.

"The act was cruel, criminal, and inhuman. It's a human catastrophe," prosecutor Omar Abdel-Khaleq told the Tripoli court. "We demand the death penalty for the accused."

The nurses and doctor are currently on trial in Tripoli for the alleged infections, which were said to take place when the health professionals worked in a Benghazi hospital in the late 1990s. The nurses and doctor were previously found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad, but a judge overturned the conviction in 2005 and ordered a new trial, which is currently taking place and began in May. (The Advocate)