Libya's supreme judicial council remained silent on July 16, the date on which it was expected to pronounce on the case of the six Bulgarian medics sentenced to death for deliberate HIV infection of more than 400 children. 
 
The council is a political body, headed by Libya's justice minister, which has the power to repeal, confirm or commute the death verdicts of the medics.
 
On the morning of July 16 2007, the council postponed its meeting on the medics’ case to 7pm the same day.
 
Radio France Internationale (RFI) said that attempts to convince the families to sign the agreement caused the postponement. The “bargaining” continued throughout the whole day, RFI said.
 
A day earlier, on July 15, Libya’s Gaddaffi Foundation announced that the families of the infected children had agreed to receive compensation of $1 million for each child. In return they would withdraw their demand that the executions of the medics go ahead. However, the families were reported to be refusing to sign the agreement on the compensation before the money is paid.
 
By late in the evening on July 16, no information of the council's decision was available. It was not clear whether the meeting had taken place at all.
 
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the council held its sitting, but did not discuss the medics’ case. The next sitting of the council will be held on July 17 2007.