Switzerland: Libya Hits Back After Arrest of Gadafy's Son

Libya has been taking "worrying retaliatory measures" against Switzerland since the arrest of the youngest son of the Libyan leader, Muammar Gadafy, for allegedly beating two of his servants, the Swiss foreign ministry said yesterday.

It said Swiss citizens should cease travel to the country immediately. Libya has recalled some of its diplomats in Switzerland, suspended the issuing of visas for Swiss citizens, reduced flights to Switzerland and detained two Swiss nationals on various charges, the ministry said.

"Swiss companies in Libya have received orders to close, and some company offices have been sealed," it added.

Swiss International Air Lines said Libya had restricted its flights to one a week following the arrest of Hannibal Gadafy. Libya also announced a similar cut in the flights of the Libyan airline Afriqiyah to Geneva, the airport disclosed.

Hannibal Gadafy and his wife were arrested last week after an incident at a Geneva hotel. They were released on bail two days later and left the country. The daily Tribune de Genève reported that two of Gadafy's servants claimed Gadafy, 32, and his wife beat them at the hotel with a belt and a hanger. Lawyer Alain Berger said Gadafy and his wife rejected the allegations.

Switzerland has sent a diplomatic delegation to Tripoli to give the Libyan authorities more details on the arrest and "to prevent a crisis between the two countries", the foreign ministry said.