Advertisement ::

Enlarge Cartoon

Libya calls on Malta to leave the Schengen area, “another form of colonialism”

Malta issues temporary visas to Libyans to avoid Swiss ban

Update 2 13:00  Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swiss-German media SF has obtained a copy of court papers filed 16 March by canton Geneva showing it agrees to compensate Hannibal Qadaffi, the son of Libya’s leader, and to offer an apology for a leak from the police department. The canton has not officially confirmed or denied the report, in line with its notice in February 2010 that it would not issue any statements until Max Goeldi, a Swiss businessman serving a four-month prison term in Libya, is free. (Ed. note: the canton is holding a press conference at 16:00 as a result of the SF revelation)

The leak to which the court papers refer allowed “unflattering” photos of the man to be published in the Tribune de Genève newspaper after he was arrested in the city in July 2008. The papers filed by the canton, seen by Swiss news agency ATS, note that since it is clear the leak came from a state employee, the cantonmust take some responsibility. It asks the court to determine the share of responsibility and costs to be borne by the Tribune. It also insists that the Tribune must publish the court decision, at its own cost.

Libya has demanded that the European Union also apologize, for not issuing visas to some of its citizens, Spanish newspaper El Pais reports Libyan ambassador to Spain, Ageli Abdussalam Breni, as saying.

Pierre Ruetschi, managing editor of the newspaper, said in early March that the newspaper has not been contacted as part of the lengthy investigation into the leak, which has focused on the canton’s internal security, but he sees no reason for the Tribune to apologize. He told Le Temps in an interview that he regards the issue of the photos as a “pretext” in a well-planned Libyan strategy.

Muammar Qadaffi filed charges against the canton and the newspaper in Geneva in December 2009, asking that Hannibal be awarded CHF100,000 for damage to his personal reputation. The civil case opens 18 March.

Italian minister’s warning backed by Malta proposal

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini late Monday 15 March issued a stern warning to Switzerland to resolve its diplomatic crisis with Libya by 5 April. He met with top Libyan officials for several hours Monday. Afterwards Frattini repeated an argument he has made in recent weeks: that Switzerland cannot hold the rest of the Schengen area hostage to the Swiss policy of not allowing top Libyan officials to enter the area. Switzerland risks the consequence that Italy and other countries would allow Libyan nationals in, he said. Frattini plans to present his proposal to ignore the Swiss ban to the EU 22 March, he says, but the Schengen group has already slated a review of its visa-issuing regulations for next week.

The president of the Swiss parliament’ foreign affairs committee, Christine Markwalder, reacted strongly Tuesday, saying Italy was putting pressure on the wrong country, but she also noted that she welcomes canton Geneva’s reported willingness to compensate Hannibal Qadaffi.

Malta’s foreign minister, Tonio Borg, Tuesday called on other European countries to issue temporary visas to Libyans as a way around the Swiss ban. Malta began issuing temporary visas Tuesday 16 March, according to EU Politics Today.

Spain, which currently holds the one-year presidency of the European Union, has not replied to Italy’s latest call. Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey met with her German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, Tuesday, and the diplomatic dispute with Libya was on the agenda.

Switzerland is not a member of the European Union but it is a Schengen area partner and has invoked the option to refuse visas to some 150 Libyans out of the 30,000 whose visas it has approved.

Libya Wednesday called for Malta to leave the Schengen area, saying it is just another form of colonialism, accordingto Libyaonline.

Meanwhile, a US trade official visiting Tripoli Tuesday told reporters in a briefing,“I am happy about the relations between Libya and the United States and these are growing step by step,” referring to the first trade talks in February between the US and Libya since they renewed diplomatic relations in 2004. US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley apologized to Libya last week for making flippant remarks about Muammar Qadaffi’s recent speech calling for a jihad against Switzerland.

Links to other sites: El Pais (Spa), Le Temps, Reuters, swissinfo, TSR (Fre),