A statement issued on behalf of European Commission chief Romano Prodi said the commission was "extremely preoccupied and deeply disappointed" with Thursday's verdict against the Bulgarian medics in Libya

A statement issued on behalf of European Commission chief Romano Prodi said the commission was "extremely preoccupied and deeply disappointed" with Thursday's verdict against the Bulgarian medics in Libya. The Benghazi Criminal Court sentenced on Thursday five Bulgarian nurses in the HIV trial to death by firing squad. The sentence was also passed on a Palestinian doctor. The medics were found guilty of deliberately infecting over 400 children with HIV. More than 20 of the children are since reported to have died. "While we have expressed solidarity with the Libyans and will continue to do so, at the same time the EU repeats its total refusal of the death penalty," said commission spokesman Gerassimos Thomas. "We have concerns at the lack of evidence for the culpability of the defendants," he added. "The EU has repeatedly expressed its serious concerns regarding the conduct of the investigations, the treatment of the defendants and the delays in bringing the case to a conclusion," said the statement.