----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 3:12 PM
Subject: WMA AND ICN PLEAD TO DROP DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST DOCTOR AND NURSES
AFTER NEW SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE


> WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (WMA) AND INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF NURSES (ICN)
>
> News Release
>
> December 8 2006
>
> WMA AND ICN PLEAD TO DROP DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST
> DOCTOR AND NURSES AFTER NEW SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
>
> An urgent plea for the death sentence to be dropped against five Bulgarian
> nurses and a Palestinian doctor, accused of deliberately infecting Libyan
> children with HIV, has come from the representative bodies of the world's
> physicians and nurses.
> The World Medical Association and the International Council of Nurses have
> sent a joint letter to the African Union, Amnesty International, the
> Libyan
> Government, the Council of Europe and Physicians for Human Rights drawing
> their attention to new scientific findings casting doubt on the evidence
> against the accused health professionals.
> The letter cites an article in the magazine Nature reporting the findings
> of
> an international team of scientists which analysed samples taken from the
> infected patients. They found that the HIV subtype involved began
> infecting
> patients in Libya well before the medical workers arrived in 1998.
> The doctor and nurses, who have been in prison since 1999, could face the
> death penalty if found guilty by a court in Tripoli on December 19. They
> were condemned to death in 2004, but in 2005 the Libyan Supreme Court
> overturned the verdicts, and ordered a retrial on the grounds that there
> were "irregularities" in the arrests and interrogations of the accused.
> The World Medical Association, which represents more than eight million
> physicians worldwide, and the International Council of Nurses, which is a
> federation of 129 national nurses' associations representing 13 millions
> nurses worldwide, have repeatedly called for the death penalty to be
> rescinded.
> In September ICN Chief Executive Officer, Judith Oulton, urged all members
> to write to their governments and others, asking for a 'justice for the
> imprisoned health professionals' and ICN has coordinated with Amnesty
> International and other related organisations. The WMA has made numerous
> representations both publicly and privately and Dr Yoram Blachar, chairman
> of the WMA Council, has described the sentences as 'completely
> unjustified'.
> Both bodies have urged their members to write again to their governments.
> Last month 114 Nobel Laureates wrote an open letter to Colonel Gaddafi
> urging the authorities to hear independent science-based evidence, and
> reaffirming the need for a fair trial.
> ICN and WMA urge all interested to join in this appeal by contacting their
> governments and writing to the government of Libya at the address below.*
>
> End
>
> The International Council of Nurses is a federation of 129 national
> nurses'
> associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by
> nurses for nurses, ICN is the international voice of nursing and works to
> ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally. For
> further
> information contact Linda Carrier-Walker Tel: +41 22 908 0100 Fax: +41 22
> 908 0101 email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Web site:
> www.icn.ch <http://www.icn.ch>
>
> The World Medical Association is an independent confederation of national
> medical associations from more than 80 countries and represents more than
> eight million physicians. Acting on behalf of patients and physicians, the
> WMA endeavours to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care,
> ethics, education and health-related human rights for all people.
> For further information contact Dr Otmar Kloiber WMA Secretary
> General +33 4 50 42 6757 (office), +33 6 73 90 76 86
> (mobile) or Nigel Duncan WMA Public Relations +44 (0) 20 8997
> 3653 (work), +44 (0) 7984 944 403 (mobile),
> [log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> website: www.wma.net
>
>
> * Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI
> Leader of the Revolution
> Office of the Leader of the Revolution
> Tripoli
> Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Linda Carrier-Walker
> Director, Development and External Relations
> International Council of Nurses
> 3 place Jean Marteau
> 1201 Geneva Switzerland
> Tel: + 41 22 908-0100
> Direct: + 41 22 908-0109
> Fax: + 41 22 908-0101
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> www.icn.ch
>
> The International Council of Nurses is a federation of 129 national
> nurses
> associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by
> nurses for nurses, ICN is the international voice of nursing and works to
> ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.
>
> ICN Conference and CNR, Nursing at the forefront:Dealing with the
> unexpected
> 27 May- 1 June 2007, Yokohama, Japan
>
>
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