A Libyan judge on Saturday fined one of two Swiss businessmen whose convictions for breaking immigration rules have already strained diplomatic links between Libya and Switzerland, their lawyer said. The cases of Max Goeldi and Rachid Hamdani have also unsettled some of the foreign investors who flocked to Libya after the oil producer emerged from international isolation.
"The judge convicted Max Goeldi on the charges of violating business rules in Libya and fined him 1,000 dinars ($801.3)," defence lawyer Salah Zahaf added. Both of them have already been convicted on separate charges of violating Libya's immigration rules and sentenced to 16 months in prison. Amnesty International said their convictions did not meet international standards for fair trial.
The judge in a Tripoli court is due to rule in the case of the second Swiss man Rachid Hamdani on the same charges of violating business rules, Zahaf said. The trials, on charges of violating business rules, have been deadlocked for weeks because the two men refused to attend. Both have been staying inside the Swiss embassy in Tripoli, where the Libyan authorities have no jurisdiction.
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