Dear All
The case of the Lockerbie bomber is a political hot potato.
On the one hand Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was convicted as the biggest mass murderer in Scottish history, and on the other, concerns that there was a serious miscarriage of justice committed to secure that conviction.
Al Megrahi was freed on 20 August 2009 because of compassionate grounds and his appeal against conviction was dropped.
He was said to be terminally ill and had three months to live.
13 months later, he is still alive in Libya.
And the way things are going will probably be alive during the Holyrood 2011 election.
He will probably feature in that crucial election as the issue of justice and law and order are always election issues and his case is special.
The release of Al Megrahi was a judgment call but given the nature of the crime, I won’t have released him because it was important that his appeal was heard.
I think like others that there is enough evidence of a miscarriage of justice.
I suspect that most people would have liked to seen that appeal taking place.
Now, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has backed calls for an inquiry into the Lockerbie bomber's conviction.
To that end a campaign group has handed over a petition to MSPs but as much as this is welcomed, this is an issue which has to go back to the Scottish Courts.
.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien is backing an inquiry because he says that without such a probe, the "web of mystery" surrounding the "horrible" bombing may never be resolved.
About 1,500 people have signed a petition by the Justice For Megrahi (JFM). They are a pressure group calling on Holyrood to urge the Scottish Government to open an independent inquiry into the Libyan's conviction.
Given that this is the run to an election year, I suspect some political parties might want this inquiry to go ahead. Not to find justice but to keep in the minds of the Scottish public that the convicted killer of 270 people murdered over the skies of Lockerbie still lives.
Cardinal O'Brien has signed the petition before it was handed over to MSPs on Tuesday.
He said:
"We're living in the 21st century now and really it shouldn't be beyond us, it shouldn't be beyond the Scottish Government, to take this on. Or are we all eventually going to die in a web of mystery about what happened at the time of the horrible Lockerbie bombing? What I am concerned with is basic justice, to find out what exactly went on. I want to find out the truth and I think when I say that I am speaking for many, many people, not just religious people, people of no faiths at all are desperate to find out what went on that time."
I campaigned that Al Megrahi should be released on compassionate grounds to have every possible opportunity to present his appeal.
I knew that if his appeal wasn’t heard that this would have disastrous consequences further down the line.
George Laird was right again.
I kept the email I sent asking for compassionate release regarding the appeal.
The Al Megrahi case is a case which goes far beyond the individual of the man because it concerns the very nature of how justice is dispensed in Scotland.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
The case of the Lockerbie bomber is a political hot potato.
On the one hand Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was convicted as the biggest mass murderer in Scottish history, and on the other, concerns that there was a serious miscarriage of justice committed to secure that conviction.
Al Megrahi was freed on 20 August 2009 because of compassionate grounds and his appeal against conviction was dropped.
He was said to be terminally ill and had three months to live.
13 months later, he is still alive in Libya.
And the way things are going will probably be alive during the Holyrood 2011 election.
He will probably feature in that crucial election as the issue of justice and law and order are always election issues and his case is special.
The release of Al Megrahi was a judgment call but given the nature of the crime, I won’t have released him because it was important that his appeal was heard.
I think like others that there is enough evidence of a miscarriage of justice.
I suspect that most people would have liked to seen that appeal taking place.
Now, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has backed calls for an inquiry into the Lockerbie bomber's conviction.
To that end a campaign group has handed over a petition to MSPs but as much as this is welcomed, this is an issue which has to go back to the Scottish Courts.
.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien is backing an inquiry because he says that without such a probe, the "web of mystery" surrounding the "horrible" bombing may never be resolved.
About 1,500 people have signed a petition by the Justice For Megrahi (JFM). They are a pressure group calling on Holyrood to urge the Scottish Government to open an independent inquiry into the Libyan's conviction.
Given that this is the run to an election year, I suspect some political parties might want this inquiry to go ahead. Not to find justice but to keep in the minds of the Scottish public that the convicted killer of 270 people murdered over the skies of Lockerbie still lives.
Cardinal O'Brien has signed the petition before it was handed over to MSPs on Tuesday.
He said:
"We're living in the 21st century now and really it shouldn't be beyond us, it shouldn't be beyond the Scottish Government, to take this on. Or are we all eventually going to die in a web of mystery about what happened at the time of the horrible Lockerbie bombing? What I am concerned with is basic justice, to find out what exactly went on. I want to find out the truth and I think when I say that I am speaking for many, many people, not just religious people, people of no faiths at all are desperate to find out what went on that time."
I campaigned that Al Megrahi should be released on compassionate grounds to have every possible opportunity to present his appeal.
I knew that if his appeal wasn’t heard that this would have disastrous consequences further down the line.
George Laird was right again.
I kept the email I sent asking for compassionate release regarding the appeal.
The Al Megrahi case is a case which goes far beyond the individual of the man because it concerns the very nature of how justice is dispensed in Scotland.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
2 comments:
Do the SNP still release mass murderers.
270 innocent people dead.
270 innocent people dead.
270 innocent people dead.
270 innocent people dead.
270 innocent people dead.
The Alex Salmond legacy.
They have no duristriction over Tony Blair, when was he captured.
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