Tripoli/Rome (Earth Times) - Libya is to stop issuing visas to citizens of the European countries that make up the Schengen zone, the Italian Foreign Ministry said Monday. "Libyan authorities have confirmed the suspension of all types of visas for citizens of Schengen states. In addition, they have specified that citizens from Schengen states will be denied entry into Libya even if they are in possession of a visa, of whatever duration or type," the Italian Foreign Ministry said on its website.
The confirmation followed reports from Tripoli's Oea newspaper, which has close ties to Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, that the country would no longer issue visas to European countries in the Schengen zone.
The Libyan government has not publicly confirmed the reports, or given a public reason for the decision.
But Oea on Sunday cited an unnamed senior Libyan official as saying 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.
Relations between Switzerland and Libya have soured since July 2008, when police in Geneva questioned Gaddafi's son, Hannibal, and his wife following a complaint that they had abused domestic staff at their hotel.
Soon after, Libya prevented two Swiss businessmen from leaving the country, and subsequently tried them on visa violations.
Last week, a Tripoli appeals court reduced an earlier, 16-month prison sentence against Max Goldi, one of the two, on visa violations, after a court on February 7 acquitted fellow Swiss businessman Rachid al-Hamdani on the same charges.
The confirmation followed reports from Tripoli's Oea newspaper, which has close ties to Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, that the country would no longer issue visas to European countries in the Schengen zone.
The Libyan government has not publicly confirmed the reports, or given a public reason for the decision.
But Oea on Sunday cited an unnamed senior Libyan official as saying 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.
Relations between Switzerland and Libya have soured since July 2008, when police in Geneva questioned Gaddafi's son, Hannibal, and his wife following a complaint that they had abused domestic staff at their hotel.
Soon after, Libya prevented two Swiss businessmen from leaving the country, and subsequently tried them on visa violations.
Last week, a Tripoli appeals court reduced an earlier, 16-month prison sentence against Max Goldi, one of the two, on visa violations, after a court on February 7 acquitted fellow Swiss businessman Rachid al-Hamdani on the same charges.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.