At its plenary session today, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operations in Europe adopted the Edinburgh Declaration which includes as well a Resolution on Serious Violation of Human Rights in Libya. The resolution was put on the agenda on a motion by the Bulgarian delegation. The delegation returns from Edinburgh on 10 July, at 14.00 hrs, Sofia Airport, Government VIP Lounge.

The text of the resolution is following:
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SERIOUS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN LIBYA

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

1. Brings to the attention of the Libyan authorities its grave concern at the verdict and death sentence on 6 May in the case of six Bulgarian and one Palestinian medical worker in Benghazi who had been arrested five years earlier. They were charged with “premeditated murder subverting the security of Libya” and “intentional infection” of nearly 400 Libyan children with the AIDS virus through blood transfusion;

2. Calls attention to the fact that “confessions” have been extracted from the accused under brutal torture by officers of the police and the secret services, with two members of the special team formed for interrogation of the Bulgarian medics having admitted that duress had been applied;

3. Emphasizes that an expert report on the case, prepared after continuous research by the world’s two leading experts in matters concerning the AIDS virus, Professors Luc Montagnier and Vittorio Colizzi, repeatedly proved that the infection at the Al-Fateh Hospital in Benghazi occurred due to poor hygiene back in 1997, i.e. before the arrival of the Bulgarian medics, and persisted after their arrest;

4. Expresses concern in connection with the violation of human rights in the above-mentioned case;

5. Expresses solidarity with the families of the affected by the dramatic events Libyan children and hopes that relief will come to them to the extent possible;

6. Urges the Libyan authorities to comply with the accepted standards of international law in bringing an appeal process forward as soon as possible to find a fair solution to the case.