07/07/2009

Lockerbie bomber delay prompts fresh compassionate release call

The Scottish Justice Minister is being urged to back the return to Libya of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi on compassionate release after the Crown Office confirmed a further significant delay to his current appeal against conviction for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103. SNP MSP Christine Grahame said the grounds for returning terminally ill Megrahi to Libya were now overwhelming. Ms Grahame who wrote to the First Minister last month to highlight the compassionate release option said:

“It is within the powers of the Justice Minister and the Scottish Government to return Megrahi to Libya on compassionate release. This does not require a formal application from the prisoner.

“Given the further significant delay announced today (Tuesday) by the Crown Office I believe the case for proceeding with this option, compassionate release, is now overwhelming.

“That would allow Mr Megrahi’s appeal to continue and further ensure that Scottish justice is responsive to the nature of his terminal illness. The Crown Office announcement effectively guarantees Mr Megrahi will not live to see the end of the appeal against his conviction.

“The whole process he has experienced has been subjected to extraordinary delay. Although there has been a Prisoner Transfer Application submitted by the Libyan Government, Mr Megrahi would need to drop his appeal before being permitted to return home. If he follows that course he will have to go back to Libya a convicted man. With compassionate release he would still return to Libya a convicted man, but significantly this would allow the appeal to run its full course.

“It seems to me therefore that this is the best option in terms of seeing that the due legal process is allowed to proceed and also ensure an innocent man does not die in prison. I believe also this would be in the interests of the victims families.

“The Scottish Government can agree to unilaterally take this option and it could be on conditions imposed by the Justice Secretary, Mr MacAskill. I am urging Scottish Ministers to give fresh consideration to this option in light of today’s announcement by the Crown Office.”

SNP It’s time.....