Libya releases four journalists

TRIPOLI, Libya, May 20 (UPI) -- Two reporters and two photographers left Libya for Tunisia Thursday, six weeks after they were detained by forces supporting Col. Moammar Gadhafi.

The Hungarian Embassy drove the journalists to a border crossing, The Atlantic reported. The four spent the night in the embassy after being released Wednesday.

Clare Gillis, a U.S. freelancer working for the Atlantic and USA Today; James Foley, who works for GlobalPost; and Manuel Brabo, a Spanish photographer, were detained April 5 near Brega. Nigel Chandler, a British freelancer, was also released.

Anton Lazarus Hammerl, who has joint Austrian and South African citizenship, was also detained April 5, separately from the other group. His whereabouts is unknown but South Africa said Friday it was believed that Hammerl was dead and accused Libyan leaders of lying about his fate.

Members of Hammerl's family said two of the journalists released by Libya told them he had been shot and they thought there was "no hope that he would have survived."

The four freed journalists were given a brief trial Wednesday and convicted of entering the country illegally, The Wall Street Journal reported. A Libyan government spokesman said they were given one-year suspended sentences and fined $170.

They were transported to a Tripoli hotel.