You are not alone badgeBecause six innocent Bulgarian medical workers were sentenced to death on 19 December by the Benghazi Criminal Court.

Because I do not know, what else I could do, other than spread the word.

I will cite here the Nature Internationl Journal of Science, its article from January 3, 2007:

The six [Bulgarian] medical workers were sentenced to death on 19 December by the Benghazi Criminal Court for deliberately infecting more than 400 children with HIV at the Al-Fateh Hospital in Benghazi in 1998. Scientists around the world have argued that medical evidence shows unequivocally that the people were not infected deliberately.

According to diplomatic sources, the most optimistic outcome for the moment is that the six medical workers will remain condemned, but that a political solution will be found to have them freed. But the situation is increasingly volatile — and for the moment they remain in grave danger.

And also CNN.com from December 22, 2006:

The nurses arrived in February 1998 to take up jobs at a children’s hospital in Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city. By August, children at the hospital tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The nurses said they were tortured into confessing they infected the blood supply.

International AIDS experts say the disease was present before the medics arrived and probably spread by contaminated needles.

And also Nevyana Hadjiyska from Newsvine, December 29, 2006:

The tensions intensified earlier this month [December 2006] when the nurses and doctor were sentenced to death despite scientific evidence the children had the virus before the medical workers arrived in Libya.

Bulgarian civil groups and media outlets have called for economic sanctions or the breaking of diplomatic relations with Tripoli. The EU and U.S. have also criticized the verdict.

The six plan to appeal their convictions and sentences before Libya’s Supreme Court.

These people will die in an alien country, in Libya, if the international community doesn’t exercise over the political regime there enough pressure.

I am no politician. I can’t influence world politics.

But I am scared – scared that 6 innocent people may die soon because of things we didn’t do in time.

I have just started my personal blog. It was my dream for months – to have a place, where I can express myself, publish articles on XHTML/CSS and on Life, the Universe and Everything, where I can share my thoughts with friends and strangers. I didn’t plan to make it a place for campaigns, or for re-publishing sad news. So I wasn’t sure that I want to start my second post with these words, why am I wearing this badge? But then, I realised, that Life, the Universe and Everything, are all bound together. And that one more voice in support for these people’s innocence may be of significance for them. They are awaiting their death in a prison far away, right now, while I am writing these words in the comfort of my place.

It’s obvious that no normal personal would deliberately poison children with AIDS and that the regime of Muammar Gaddafi simply needs a sin offering in this case. These people suit his needs perfectly, as the influence of Bulgaria in world politics is not as strong as those of USA, for example. But we shouldn’t let this happen.

So here I am. I can speak, at least.

I can also wear my badge and pray. You can do it, too.

4 thoughts on “Why am I wearing this badge?

  1. I have been reading about this case since I arrived in Bulgaria from the US, and obviously, I find it shocking. I think the Libyan government’s monopoly on information is at the core of this issue. This is the sort of injustice that a free press helps prevent. Michel, you should at least feel proud that you are contributng to free press in Bulgaria, both through your work at BlueLink, and through this blog.

  2. Well, thx!

    But I avow that at this moment I am not feeling exactly proud… rather, scared, that while important politicians accross the globe discuss what can be done in this case, these innocent people could simply be executed… :-(

  3. Michel, thank you for this post. I wanted to say something, but you already did it in a way thousand times better than I ever would.

    The worst thing for me is the thin fact that these people are already bad punished and damaged and in the same time they are only a bait for dirty politician’s extortion…:-(((

    I am not sure for what to pray…

  4. @Ani:

    Yes, you’re right! I am not sure what to pray for, too.

    I don’t know if simply telling the world a few words would change anything for them. Maybe not. But I couldn’t not speak… even if it wouldn’t change anything :(

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