Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner calls for humanitarian resolution of the Benghazi case

IP/06/1907

Brussels, 28 December 2006

In her letter, the Commissioner makes the following points in particular:

"It is my strong hope that the concerned Libyan authorities will take the necessary measures to review and annul the death sentence, and open the way to an early resolution of the case on a humanitarian basis. We should now be able to proceed with steady and consistent work at the Benghazi Centre and with a satisfactory closure of the judicial case."

"You will have noted the recent publication of a strong body of scientific evidence concerning the origin and timing of the Benghazi infection. I very much regret that this new element was not deemed worth considering in the legal proceedings thus far and hope it will be duly taken into consideration by the Supreme Court."

"The EU has spared no effort to bring about considerable improvements at the Benghazi Centre for Infectious Diseases and Immunology. This Centre has now reached a remarkable level of professionalism, thanks to the joint work of a Libyan-European team. This work will continue under EU funding."

"Within the context of the Benghazi International Fund, there is now a very substantial pledge of assistance to the children of Benghazi from several European governments and foreign private corporations. This pledge will add to the efforts of the Libyan government (sending the children abroad for treatment) and will allow financing both the continuation of the upgrading of the Benghazi Centre and the payment of substantial financial support to the families, consistent with the humanitarian objectives of the Fund and within the exact scope of its Articles of Agreement. "