Hearing in Baghdadi Mahmoud case postponed to January 10

The Tozeur Court of Appeal, on Tuesday, decided to postpone the hearing in the case of Baghdadi Mahmoudi, former Libyan Prime Minister under the Gaddafi regime, to next January 10. The trial in appeal has been postponed on request of the defence who announced that new lawyers from Libya, France, Morocco and Egypt will be tasked with this case. These new lawyers need to study the file in order to plead and attend the trial. In its argument, the defence asked to hear new witnesses who were not informed of the date of today's hearing. The defence also is convinced that Baghdadi Mahmoudi's life is threatened, after his having been informed by the prison officials that he had received death threats, hence his decision not to appear before the court. Baghdadi Mahmoudi sent a letter to the court in which he explained the reasons behind his choice not to appear before the court, mentioning his deteriorated health, his old age and his safety. The judge said that the court did not know of those threats which need to be evidenced.