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TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A Libyan court on Saturday postponed until January 30 the trial of Max Goeldi, one of two Swiss businessmen whose prosecution has caused a diplomatic row between Libya and Switzerland, their lawyer said.
A judge trying Goeldi on charges of violating business regulations ordered the adjournment because the defendant, who is staying at the Swiss embassy in Tripoli, did not appear in court, the lawyer told reporters.

"The trial has been postponed until January 30," said lawyer Salah Zahaf, who represents Goeldi and the second Swiss businessman, Rachid Hamdani.

The two men were barred from leaving Libya in July 2008 after Swiss prosecutors arrested a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on charges -- later dropped -- of mistreating two staff while on a visit to Switzerland.

Libyan officials deny any connection between the arrest in Switzerland and the case of the two businessmen.

The lawyer said he had passed on to Goeldi verbal assurances from the court that he would not be detained if he attended the court hearing. "He refused because he is requesting written guarantees," the lawyer said.

The trials of both Goeldi and Hamdani have already been adjourned twice because they did not appear in court. A court is scheduled to resume Hamdani's trial, on the same charges as Goeldi, on Sunday.

Both men have already been convicted on separate charges of violating Libya's immigration rules and sentenced to 16 months in prison.