Michel Delebarre, president of EU's Committee of Regions presented a declaration in support of the five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death for deliberate HIV infection in Libya.

In the declaration Delebarre said that the nurses are European citizens and that Bulgaria and Romania „form an integral part of the area of solidarity that is the European Union.“

The Committee of Regions „roundly condemns“ the death verdicts of the nurses and Palestinian medic.

It also emphasises its opposition to the death penalty. Abolishing the death sentence was „essential factor for human dignity,“ the declaration said.

The declaration calls for the swift release of the medics as 'solid' evidence for their innocence was presented to Libyan court.

The declaration also said that the Committee of Regions understood the tragedy of the infection victims. It supported EU's HIV Action Plan for Benghazi launched in 2004. The plan allocated 2.5 million euro for medical and technical assistance to the victims and Libyan authorities.