Thursday, August 13, 2009

SNP Scottish Government may free Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds


Dear All

The Lockerbie Bomber case is one of the biggest cases of mass murder ever committed in Britain.

It was a case that shocked a nation.

The person convicted of the Lockerbie bombing; Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi has long protested his innocence of the crime.

As well as this, the case has been controversial as evidence was with held from the defence prompting allegations of an unfair trial.

Now it seems that Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi could be freed on compassionate grounds as he has terminal cancer.

This is the right thing to do but it is also a difficult thing due to the highly emotive nature of the case.

One of the people who have campaigned for Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is Jim Swire, whose daughter was killed in Lockerbie.

He is founder of the ‘Justice for Megrahi’ campaign set up in December 2008 and has support Megrahi in his attempts to win his freedom.

Dr. Swire said that the release was the right thing to do "on reasonable human grounds".

At present, the SNP Scottish Government is currently considering applications for either Megrahi's transfer to a Libyan jail or his release.

The matter is sitting on the desk of the Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill and he will decide if Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi can go home to spend the little time he has left with his family.

Although there are relatives of the victims calling for his release there are also relatives calling for him to remain in prison.

Stephanie Bernstein said;

“his release would send a message that terrorism was not taken seriously.”

Another relative Ms Flynn said;

“Megrahi should "never qualify for anything compassionate".

For those with an interest in justice the Megrahi case doesn’t sit well, On June 28, 2007 the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission announced the completion of its four-year review. It decided that Megrahi's conviction could have been a miscarriage of justice and granted him leave for a second appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal.

If Megrahi is released from prison on compassionate grounds next week, South of Scotland SNP MSP Christine Grahame predicted that Megrahi's appeal would continue.
The Lockerbie case remains clouded by mystery and possibly the entire truth will never be known.

One thing however that is known in my opinion, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi wasn’t granted a fair trial the first time round.

That is something that has to be addressed.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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