(Times-UK) Martin Fletcher - Three days after Switzerland voted to ban minarets on mosques, enraging the Muslim world, a Libyan court has sentenced two Swiss businessmen to 16 months in prison for violating immigration laws. Max Goeldi and Rachid Hamdani's misfortunes began in July last year when Gaddafi's son, Hannibal, and his daughter-in-law were arrested in a Geneva hotel and charged with beating their servants. The Gaddafis spent two nights in custody before they flew home. Reprisals followed. Libya cut oil supplies to Switzerland, withdrew $5 billion from Swiss banks, and cut Swissair flights to Tripoli. It also arrested Goeldi, director of an engineering company, and Hamdani, who worked for a construction firm. The businessmen were tried in absentia, with no lawyers or foreign journalists present. Should Britain really be selling that repressive, vindictive regime armored cars and water cannon, and training its police?
2009-12-04 07:41:30Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive