The Tripoli regional court delayed the slander trial of the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for intentional HIV infection.

Additional charges of defamation were brought up lately. The nurses said that Libyan officers tortured them into confessing guilt for the HIV infection. Libya is to launch a trial because of these accusations.

The defamation trial has been pushed back to February 25 after the lawyer of the nurses Osman Bizanti requested a delay. Bizanti requested more time to get familiar with documents and the charges.

During a February 11 court session the five nurses, the Palestinian doctor, and two of the Libyan officers were present. The nurses were not questioned.

On February 11, after the end of the court session, lawyer Hari Haralampiev and diplomats were allowed to meet the nurses in Judeida prison, Focus news agency reported.

Bulgarian ambassador to Libya Alexander Olshevski said that the judge responsible for the trial, instead of a prosecutor will question the nurses.

After Bulgaria announced it will launch a trial of the officers, Libya added charges of slander to the already presented charges in the trial.