By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - A United Nations human rights watchdog called on Libya on Friday to end what it called the systematic use of torture and to investigate allegations including mistreatment of previously detained Bulgarian medics.

The U.N. Human Rights Committee, composed of 18 independent experts, also urged Tripoli to repeal legislation based on Sharia law which allows amputation and flogging for offences including theft and adultery.

Its conclusions came after a three-week meeting during which they examined the civil and political rights records of five countries -- Libya, Algeria, Georgia, Austria and Costa Rica.

"The Committee... remains concerned at continuing reports of systematic use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," it said.

Libya "should take urgent and effective measures to stop the use of all forms of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and to ensure prompt, thorough and impartial investigations by an independent mechanism".

The Libyan delegation had told the committee that physical and psychological torture were banned.

Ivan Shearer, committee vice-chairman, told a news briefing that it found torture in Libya was "widespread and systematic".

NURSES

The committee voiced concern at testimony by five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor that they had been subject to ill-treatment and were forced to sign papers absolving Libyan officials from any responsibility for torture.

The medics, sentenced to death on charges of deliberately infecting 460 Libyan children with the HIV virus, were released in July after eight years in jail. They have always maintained their innocence and said they confessed under torture.

Libya, once a pariah of the West, was elected two weeks ago to a coveted two-year term on the U.N. Security Council.

Committee members complained that Libya had submitted only a seven-page report on its compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a cornerstone of international human rights law.

"Their response to our questions about the Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor...were exceedingly brief," Shearer said. "We certainly weren't satisfied with the replies we got."

The committee voiced concern that the death penalty can be applied in Libya for "vague" offences which do not meet the Covenant's definition of the most serious crimes.

"We call on Libya now to immediately stop imposing all corporal punishment including flogging and terrible amputations of legs and arms. We see no room for exceptions," Shearer said.

Libya's delegation stressed the rarity of such punishments, which it said were largely carried out against armed bandits operating in remote desert areas, he said.

AlertNet news is provided by