Libya Frees 4 Britons Held Since Shooting

LONDON —  As a good-will gesture to the Church of England, Libya today freed four Britons held prisoner in Libya since last May in the aftermath of the Libyan Embassy siege in London, a Libyan government spokesman said in Tripoli.

At a news conference televised live in London, the spokesman said the four Britons “henceforth . . . are free either to stay in Libya or leave for any other country.”

The prisoners were turned over to Terry Waite, special envoy of Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie, head of the Church of England.

The release, originally scheduled for Monday, had been delayed for 24 hours, apparently because of Libyan anger over a memorial service held in London for the British policewoman killed during the Libyan Embassy siege last April.

The four Britons--engineers Malcolm Anderson and Robin Plummer and teachers Michael Berdinner and Alan Russell--appeared at the news conference after the decision was announced. They had been held under armed guard at a villa outside Tripoli.

It was not clear when they would leave the North African country.

The government spokesman, Mohammed Alhijazi, said the decision to free the men was made by the Basic People’s Congresses, Libya’s socialist legislative bodies, “as a courtesy and gesture of good will toward the Anglican Church.”

Waite had made four trips to Libya since Christmas to secure release of the men.

He had several meetings with Libyan leader Col. Moammar Kadafi, whose clenched-fist portrait loomed behind Alhijazi as he spoke.

The spokesman said Kadafi had left the matter in the hands of the Basic People’s Congresses.

Britain broke diplomatic relations with Libya following the embassy siege during which policewoman Yvonne Fletcher was killed by shots police said were fired from inside the embassy during an anti-Kadafi demonstration.