LIBYA. THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY FIRING SQUAD

July 19, 2007: the court in Tripoli, Libya, condemned three men to death by firing squad for the murder of Libyan journalist Daif Ghazal, the victim’s brother, Awad Ghazal, told AFP.
Daif Ghazal, a 32 year old Egyptian-born journalist with Libyan nationality, had worked for the official Libyan press for 10 years until 2003, but then started publishing critical articles on a London-based website. He disappeared on May 21, 2005, and his body was found 10 days later in a suburb of the Mediterranean city of Benghazi. He had been tortured to death, with stab wounds all over his body and most of his fingers cut off. Libyan authorities denied any link with his killing, they have not provided any further information on the case. (Sources: Independent Online, 19/07/2007)