Tripoli (Earth Times) - Libya has said it will retaliate if Switzerland does not hand over two businessmen sheltering in the Swiss Embassy in Tripoli by 1000 GMT Monday. The diplomatic dispute over the fate of Rachid al-Hamdani and Max Goldi, who have been holed up in the embassy since 2008, escalated last week when a Libyan official said the country would stop issuing visas to nationals of 25 European countries.
Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa summoned ambassadors from EU countries on Sunday night to ask them to put pressure on Switzerland to hand over Goldi to Libyan police and to let al-Hamdani leave the country by midday Monday, Libya's official JANA news agency reported.
"Procedures will be taken if the embassy does not do what is required by the deadline," Koussa said.
"The Swiss embassy is deliberately violating the law and international conventions through its continued detention of the two," the foreign minister charged. "(The Swiss) are deliberately escalating the crisis."
The Libyans want Goldi to serve four months in prison on charges that he violated the terms of his visa, after an appeals court reduced a previous 16-month sentence against him.
Al-Hamdani would be free to leave the country if the Swiss complied with the ultimatum, Koussa said, following a Libyan appeals court's decision to overturn a 16-month sentence against him on the same charges.
Relations between Switzerland and Libya have soured since July 2008, when police in Geneva questioned Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's son, Hannibal, and his wife following a complaint that they had abused domestic staff at their hotel.
Soon after, Libya prevented the two Swiss businessmen from leaving the country, and subsequently tried them on visa violations.
The dispute escalated last week after a senior Libyan official told a Tripoli newspaper that Switzerland had drawn up a list of more than 180 Libyan officials to be banned from entering Switzerland, one of the 25 countries that make up the Schengen zone.
The official reportedly threatened retaliatory measures from Libya.
Switzerland in November asked the 25 European countries that make up the Schengen area to restrict visas to Libyan passport holders.
Following that request, Libyan Prime Minister Baghadadi al- Mahmoudi and other senior officials were denied Schengen visas, a refusal that Libya's deputy prime minister, Khalid Kaim, blamed on the Swiss.
Italy, which has close business ties with Libya, protested the Swiss visa restrictions last week, saying Switzerland was holding Schengen countries "hostage" in its dispute over the two businessmen...
Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa summoned ambassadors from EU countries on Sunday night to ask them to put pressure on Switzerland to hand over Goldi to Libyan police and to let al-Hamdani leave the country by midday Monday, Libya's official JANA news agency reported.
"Procedures will be taken if the embassy does not do what is required by the deadline," Koussa said.
"The Swiss embassy is deliberately violating the law and international conventions through its continued detention of the two," the foreign minister charged. "(The Swiss) are deliberately escalating the crisis."
The Libyans want Goldi to serve four months in prison on charges that he violated the terms of his visa, after an appeals court reduced a previous 16-month sentence against him.
Al-Hamdani would be free to leave the country if the Swiss complied with the ultimatum, Koussa said, following a Libyan appeals court's decision to overturn a 16-month sentence against him on the same charges.
Relations between Switzerland and Libya have soured since July 2008, when police in Geneva questioned Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's son, Hannibal, and his wife following a complaint that they had abused domestic staff at their hotel.
Soon after, Libya prevented the two Swiss businessmen from leaving the country, and subsequently tried them on visa violations.
The dispute escalated last week after a senior Libyan official told a Tripoli newspaper that Switzerland had drawn up a list of more than 180 Libyan officials to be banned from entering Switzerland, one of the 25 countries that make up the Schengen zone.
The official reportedly threatened retaliatory measures from Libya.
Switzerland in November asked the 25 European countries that make up the Schengen area to restrict visas to Libyan passport holders.
Following that request, Libyan Prime Minister Baghadadi al- Mahmoudi and other senior officials were denied Schengen visas, a refusal that Libya's deputy prime minister, Khalid Kaim, blamed on the Swiss.
Italy, which has close business ties with Libya, protested the Swiss visa restrictions last week, saying Switzerland was holding Schengen countries "hostage" in its dispute over the two businessmen...
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