Tripoli, 18 October:
Libya has agreed to compensate the families of Egyptians killed during the revolution last year according to the Egyptian . . .[restrict]Minister of Minister of Manpower and Immigration, Khaled Azhari.
Speaking in Cairo yesterday, Wednesday, he was quoted by the Egyptian media saying that the rate would be exactly the same as that paid to the families of Libyan martyrs.
In fact no compensation has been paid to Libyans although the issue has been hotly debated over the past year. It was initially suggested that families should be paid LD 50,000, but this was rejected as inadequate. The figure was then doubled, but this too was rejected. The issue remains undecided.
At present the only payments being made are to the widows and children of martyrs. The former are being paid a pension of LD 500 a month, with an extra LD 150 per child.
The issue of compensation for Egyptians was first raised by Egyptian officials in February. It was said to have been discussed during talks in Cairo at the beginning of August between Prime Minister Abdurrahim Al-Kib and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
However, there are no figures as to the number of Egyptians who lost their lives during the 17 February Revolution. There have been reports of as many as 600. However, a figure of 170 has also been suggested.
No one from the Ministry of Martyrs was available for comment on the Egyptian report. [/restrict]
