1.
GV INTERIOR Courtroom and people PAN Accused - Mohamed Ben Ali Nayel - brought in
0.08

2.
SV Judges PAN TO Accused standing in dock and answering questions (2 shots)
0.21

3.
SV Judges panel
0.24

4.
SV Defence lawyers
0.27

5.
LV Prosecutor PAN Three accused in dock (2 shots)
0.43

6.
SV Judge with emblem behind
0.45

7.
SV Accused seen from behind judges (3 shots)
1.01



Initials CL/1720 CL/1730



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A court in Tunisia has sentenced to death a Libyan accused of plotting to kidnap or kill the Tunisian Prime Minister, M. Hedi Nouira.

The Libyan, Mohamed Bon Ali Nayel, was said to be leader of the three man group which planned the attempt. The two others, Mohamed Ben Abdelkader Nasser, and Bechir Ahmed Mohamed Khalifa were each sentenced to two years imprisonment. The court deliberated for seven hours before passing sentence on the three men. In Tunisia, the death sentence is administered by handing.

In passing sentence, the judges said Nasr and Khalifa had been found guilty only because they did not advise the police about the plot.

During the trial, Nayel declared he was an opponent of the regime of Colonel Gaddafi, and the organised what he described as the "imaginary plot" to discredit the Libyan leader. The two others claimed they did not know the target of their mission when leaving for Tunis, and decided to return to Libya as soon as they knew about it.

It was alleged that the three planned to kidnap the Tunisian Prime Minister, but if they did not succeed they would have killed him. They were also accused of plotting to kidnap Tunisia's Foreign Minister, M. Habib Chatti.