Libya plans to put on trial two Swiss nationals caught in the middle of a 15-month long diplomatic row between Tripoli and Bern.

"The two Swiss citizens will be tried before the end of the year," said Khaled Kaim, the deputy Libyan minister of foreign affairs, in a news conference.

The charges include tax evasion and violation immigration laws as well as trade regulations.

The businessmen have been barred from leaving the country since July 2008, in wake of a brief detention of Libyan leader's son, Hannibal Gadhafi, and his wife in Geneva for mistreating two of their servants.

Bern accused Tripoli of abducting its two citizens following their disappearance in September, after leaving their embassy for series of tests requested by the Libyan government. They were handed over to the embassy last week.

However, Kaim stressed that the businessmen -- ABB manager Max Goldi and construction firm employee Rashid Hamdani -- were required to leave the Swiss embassy again, in order to have a private address, where a court notice could be sent.

"The two Swiss nationals were not kidnapped nor did they go missing. Their transfer was decided following reports in the Swiss media that a commando operation might be launched to free them." Kaim told AFP earlier on Thursday, referring to Swiss Foreign Minister's remarks last month.

The trial is the latest twist in the row over Hannibal's arrest. In September, an enraged Gadhafi went so far as to ask the United Nations to demolish Switzerland as a state as the oil-rich country disrupted oil supplies to Bern and pulled billions of dollars out of Swiss banks.

Bern has been forthcoming in efforts to resolve the row with the Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz offering a controversial apology over the Gadhafi arrests earlier this year, sparking domestic anger and calls for his resignation.

Kaim said Bern must "stop politicizing this case in order not to jeopardize the situation" of the Swiss businessmen.

"I don't understand why the Swiss government and press insist on linking a court case to the diplomatic row," he said.

ZHD/MB