Amnesty International has sent a letter with 14,000 signatures to the Libyan justice minister, demanding the immediate release of Swiss businessman Max Göldi.

Göldi is currently in jail in Tripoli serving a four-month sentence for visa violations.

The Swiss section of the human rights organisation considers Göldi a prisoner of conscience “who has become victim of a politically motivated charge”.

In addition to Göldi’s release from prison, the Amnesty petition demands the return of his passport and that he be allowed to return to Switzerland immediately.

Göldi and fellow Swiss national Rachid Hamdani were arrested in July 2008 following the brief arrest in Geneva of Hannibal Gaddafi, son of the Libyan leader, and his wife on charges of abusing their staff.

Hamdani was released last month, but on February 25 Moammar Gaddafi called for a holy war against Switzerland and on March 3 Libya announced a total economic boycott of Switzerland.

Attention is now being focused on the Geneva investigation into the leak of police mugshots of Hannibal Gaddafi. Geneva’s public prosecutor says the enquiry is a “priority” but complicated.

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