Libya: Swiss Embassy under siege

  1. Posted on Monday 22 February 2010 - 12:55
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    Nangayi Guyson, AfricaNews reporter in Kampala, Uganda
    Police in Libya surrounded the Swiss Embassy in the capital Tripoli on Monday after issuing a deadline for Switzerland to hand over two nationals who were sheltering in the building or face retaliation.
    swedes in libya
    One of the Swiss businessmen at the centre of the diplomatic row, Rachid Hamdani, came out of the building and was driven away by Libyan officials. There was no sign of the second man, Max Goeldi, according to Reuters reporter.

    Several dozen officers had formed a ring around the building where Hamdani and Goeldi, had taken refuge for several months.

    Libyan officials say Hamdani, who has been acquitted of criminal charges against him, is free to leave if the Swiss comply with their demands but Tripoli says Goeldi must be handed over to serve a four-month prison term for violating immigration rules.

    Last week Tripoli stopped issuing visas to most European citizens, a step that was linked to the row with Switzerland.

    Libya's official news agency reported that a deadline of midday (10:00 GMT) had been set for Switzerland to hand over the men.

    International conventions

    Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa summoned European Union ambassadors on Sunday night to hand them the ultimatum, Jana news agency said.

    The agency quoted the minister as saying that by giving Goeldi refuge in its embassy in Tripoli, Switzerland was in violation of international conventions on diplomatic immunity.

    "Procedures will be taken in the event that the embassy does not implement what is required of it by the deadline," the news agency reported. No details were given of what action the Libyan authorities plan to take.

    Both men have been barred from leaving Libya since July 2008, soon after Swiss police arrested a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi at a luxury lakeside hotel in Geneva and charged him with mistreating two domestic employees.

    The charges were later dropped and Libyan officials have denied any connection between the arrest in Geneva and the prosecution of the two businessmen.

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