The six Bulgarian medics, wrongly accused of deliberately infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV and pardoned in Bulgaria last week, had a cordial meeting with the mayor of the capital Sofia. Photo by Kameliya Atanasova (Sofia Photo Agency)
The six Bulgarian medics, wrongly accused of deliberately infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV and pardoned in Bulgaria last week, expressed their gratitude to the mayor of the capital Sofia.
It was the medics who initiated the meeting with mayor Boyko Borisov, the visible absence during their jubilant welcoming last Tuesday.
The nurses thanked Borissov for his support in the last year and asked for his cooperation in getting their new personal documents issued. The Palestinian doctor Ashraf Ahmad Djum'a al-Hadjudj, who was granted Bulgarian citizenship earlier this month, voiced his special request to have Sofia registered as his place of residence in his identity card.
The five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor were convicted of intentionally infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV before transferring them to Bulgaria on July 24 to serve their life sentence there.
Last week, Libya commuted death sentences against the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to life in prison, following a financial settlement of USD 1 M each for each of more than 400 children infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
The six were pardoned immediately after they touched down in jubilating Bulgaria.
Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov, however, was quick to slam the media hype and "limelight-loving" ruling politicians, playing down their contribution for saving the medics lives.