Libya has sentenced two Swiss businessmen to 16 months in prison for tax evasion and overstaying their visas. They have also been ordered to pay a fine of 1100 euros each.

The Swiss citizens were detained in Libya after Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son Hannibal was arrested in July 2008 following a complaint by two servants in a Geneva hotel. The servants accused the Libyan leader's son of mistreating them. The incident sparked a diplomatic row between Bern and Tripoli.

The servants later dropped the allegations but the businessmen, Max Goldi, a senior manager at the Swedish-Swiss engineering giant ABB, and Rashid Hamdani, who works for a small construction firm, were not released. Tripoli initially denied the men exit visas and charged them with immigration offences. They were later released on bail and allowed to stay at the Swiss embassy. The men can appeal against the verdict.

Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffi (flickr)