I just want to add my support to this initiative. I'd also like to add some
historical perspective that will allow you to appreciate the urgency of the
situation.

Most of these medics, like many other Bulgarian professionals including
engineers and lecturers, have been going to third world countries under
state-led development initiatives. They have been working toward the
development of the health systems and the economies of many third world
countries, including Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Cuba,
countries in Central Asia, and so on. While the origins of these programs is
from the socialist era, I can personally testify that the benefits for these
countries have been tremendous. In the context of Lybia, after the end of
socialism the benefits derived by Lybia from direct support by both Bulgaria
and the Soviet Union obviously decreased dramatically. Many of the medics
and other specialists that had been there decided to stay on under private
contracts. But they were now subject to the wims of one of the more
eccentric dictators around. Lack of political accountability in Lybia means
that when the AIDS epidemic exploded due to lack of resources, lack of
hygiene, and lack of proper controls in the hospital regarding
blood-transfer (all beyond the control of the doctors, who are employees at
these hospital), someone had to be blamed. Who better than a bunch of East
Europeans who have betrayed the The Socialist People's Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya. Part of the eccentric allegations were that the Bulgarian medics
had acted on behalf of the CIA.

After the resolution of the Lockerbie issue, with the agreement of a
compensation for the families of the disaster's victims, Lybia has been
re-integrated in the world community, complete with Prodi meeting with
Kaddafi and his MTV teenage bodyguard militia. However, whereas the UK and
US families have received justice on the back of the pressure of the EU and
the US, the Bulgarian nurses have remained in jail, and are now likely to be
shot by a firing squad. As a small country, Bulgaria does not have the
diplomatic clout, and certainly not the bombs (nor the functioning MiGs) to
do unilateral action. So our foreign ministry has been limited to a begging
role to the EU and US, in attempting to secure some MINIMAL pressure by the
EU and US diplomats on Lybia. The massive changes in Lybia's foreign policy
have demonstrated the leverage that Western diplomacy has over Lybia. Your
signing on to this petition would show increased international citizens'
support for the release of the innocent nurses, and provide the pressure
needed for the EU and US diplomacy to begin working. If it is not too late.

Don't think I need to comment on how utterly disgracefull this is!!

Maybe we could ask our prime minister what he thinks about it, given that Gadaffi is Blaire's new best friend??

Good point for Green/Respect/whoever else candidates to bring up on tv interviews I think??