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Lockerbie bomber to drop appeal case
Ross Lydall14 Aug 2009
The man found guilty of the Lockerbie bombing has applied to drop the second appeal against his conviction, it was confirmed today.
Lawyers for Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, 57, who has terminal prostate cancer, said his condition had taken a "significant turn for the worse".
He applied two days ago to the High Court in Edinburgh to abandon his appeal against conviction, they said.
The Libyan government applied in May for al Megrahi to be transferred to Libya to serve the rest of his sentence. Britain has a transfer treaty with Libya but no transfer can be made if there are outstanding legal proceedings. Dropping the appeal would remove this potential block.
Last month al Megrahi put in a separate request to the Scottish Government to be released on compassionate grounds. This can be granted even if an appeal is still under way.
Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is likely to grant this request and it could happen as early as next week - before the start of Ramadan. But the Scottish Government insisted no decision has yet been made.
Al Megrahi is serving a life term, with a minimum of 27 years. He was convicted in 2001 of bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in December 1988, with the loss of 270 lives.
Martin Cadman, of Burnham Market in Norfolk, who lost his son Bill, 32, in the bombing, said: "If this is the end of the story then I'm very disappointed. It's been nearly 21 years since the event and where are we? Nowhere."
Asked whether he backed a call for an inquiry, Mr Cadman, 84, said: "We must know the truth, it's too serious not to."
Reader views (6)
This man is innocent, and the trial ignored vital evidence that would have exculpated him ie the broken padlock to the luggage store at Heathrow.
- Neil, London, London UK, 14/08/2009 16:03
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100% correct vanessa who,s country is it?
- Basil, bussiere poitevine 87320 france, 14/08/2009 15:35
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Mockery of our legal system. Do we really believe this man alone have the technical knowhow to blow are plane on his own. We know who did it.. how ex PM met him.. he was in Italy recently.... We have chosen to do business with him rather than do the right thing... maybe i made a mistake we chose the right thing.. " what is 257 people if we can gain billions of trade contract from and evil man to support our 60millions population. The truth hurts....let the man out, and lets catch the real killer
- Alex Lisinge, Putney, 14/08/2009 15:20
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lots of corruption and cover up over this...
- Rsaviour, london england, 14/08/2009 14:59
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whether this man is guilty or not i dont think the americans would be shouting for him to be kept in jail if he was a ira bomber.double standards i think.
- John Mckim, glasgow.uk, 14/08/2009 13:25
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It is amazing that a foreign criminal who killed 257 people might be given leniency and our very own Ronnie Biggs who killed nobody had to fight for it. One rule for the foreigners and another for us Brits.
- Vanessa, London, 14/08/2009 12:58
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