Libyan court dismisses nurses' defamation charges

TRIPOLI, July 18 (Reuters) A Libyan court dismissed defamation charges today against six foreign medics, who had accused a police officer of torturing them into confessing they had infected hundreds of children with the AIDS virus.

''The court has dismissed today the accusations (of defamation) after a brief hearing,'' said an official at the criminal court in Tripoli.

Libya's High Judicial Council yesterday commuted their sentences to life imprisonment from death sentences over the infected children.

The five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor were accused of criminally defaming police officer Mohamed Salim, by accusing him of torturing them at facility the government used to train police dogs.

The court had dismissed defamation charges last May against the six medics in a separate defamation case involving three police officers and a Libyan doctor.

The confessions were a key pillar of the convictions of the six medics last year in a trial that drew sharp international condemnation. The United States, the European Union and Bulgaria all insisted the medical workers were innocent.

Bulgaria and the EU called on Libya today to transfer the six to Sofia, after Tripoli's judicial council lifted their death sentences.

The six medics, who have spent over eight years in jail already, could be pardoned by the Balkan country's president once they are sent to Sofia under a 1984 prisoner exchange agreement with Libya.

Following hectic diplomatic talks and payment of hundreds of millions of dollars to the families of 460 HIV victims, Libya commuted the death sentences against the six to life imprisonment late on Tuesday, paving the way for their release.

REUTERS SM PM1945