Libya handing out payout money for families-spokesman

TRIPOLI, July 17 (Reuters) More than half of the 426 Libyan families of children with HIV have already cashed in compensation money in a deal that paves the way for the release of six foreign medics sentenced to death for infecting the children, a spokesman for the families said today.

''More than half of the families have received the compensation money and the remaining families would get the payout money within the next few hours,'' Idriss Lagha told Reuters.

He added: ''When all the families have received the money, a deal will be announced, likely within the next six hours and a declaration by the families will be sent to the High Judiciary Council which will then be authorised to take the appropriate decision on the medics''.

The medical workers -- five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor -- were sentenced to death in December after being convicted of intentionally starting an HIV epidemic at a children's hospital in the city of Benghazi.

Libya's Supreme Court last week upheld the death sentences, placing the medics' fate in the hands of the High Judicial Council, which is controlled by the government and has the power to commute sentences or issue pardons.

The Council has put off until today a decision on the fate of the medics. It will only rule if the children's families accept the deal.

Reuters SKB GC1646