Terror and the fight for justice

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21 December 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 from Heathrow to New York explodes over Lockerbie, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people in the town.

14 November 1991: US and Britain accuse Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah of the bombing. Libya denies involvement.

3 May 2000: Lockerbie trial opens at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands under Scottish law. The two men are charged with conspiracy, murder and contravention of the Aviation Security Act 1982.

31 January 2001: Al-Megrahi is found guilty of mass murder and jailed for life, with a minimum of 20 years. Fhimah is found not guilty and freed.

23 January 2002: Al-Megrahi begins an appeal before five Scottish judges.

14 March 2002: His conviction is upheld. Al-Megrahi begins his term at Barlinnie prison two days later.

14 August 2003: Libya agrees to compensate victims' families.

19 August 2003: Britain introduces a UN resolution to lift sanctions against Libya after Tripoli accepts blame for the bombing and agrees to compensate victims' families.

23 September 2003: Lawyers for al-Megrahi apply to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission for a review of his sentence and conviction.

24 November 2003: Al-Megrahi is told he must serve at least 27 years in prison as his tariff is finally set.

31 May 2004: The Crown Office, Scotland's Crown Prosecution Service equivalent, says al-Megrahi will challenge this court ruling.

29 May 2007: Tony Blair hails the relationship between the UK and Libya after talks with Col Gaddafi.

28 June 2007: The SCCRC refers the case back to the appeal court.

21 October 2008: Al-Megrahi is diagnosed with prostate cancer which is at an advanced stage.

30 October 2008: It emerges he has applied to be freed pending the outcome of his appeal hearing.

28 April 2009: Al-Megrahi's second appeal against his conviction gets under way in Edinburgh.

29 April 2009: A prisoner transfer agreement between the UK and Libya comes into force. He must drop his appeal for it to take place.

18 August 2009: Three appeal judges in Edinburgh accept al-Megrahi's bid to drop his appeal against his conviction, clearing the way for Kenny MacAskill to return him to Libya today.