Lockerbie bomber deserves the same compassion as Ronnie Biggs

It is interesting to note the contrasting treatment of Ronnie Biggs and Abdelbaset Mohmed al Megrahi, both of whom are said to be terminally ill and have applied for release from prison on compassionate grounds ("Ronnie Biggs will spend his last days free - but in a hospital bed", The Herald, August 7).

Biggs has now been released by Jack Straw, the UK Justice Secretary, despite having served in total just one-third of his 30-year sentence after escaping from prison and enjoying 35 years of a comfortable life "on the run". Megrahi languishes in Greenock Prison, while Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, and his legal advisers agonise over what to do about him and his justified appeal case against conviction.

Biggs was convicted for his involvement in the Great Train Robbery, in which the train driver was viciously attacked and almost killed. But his notoriety was due to the powerful and ruthless gang which he and his brother ran in London's East End, engaging in protection rackets, extortion, intimidation, robbery and criminal violence, probably including murder. Biggs escaped justice only because his reign of terror ensured that no-one was willing to testify against him.

In contrast, the Libyan Megrahi was, at worst, a pawn in the international terrorist plot to blow up Pan Am Flight 103, and was certainly not a terrorist mastermind. In fact, he might not even have been involved at all, since his conviction is based almost entirely on what I believe to be questionable identification evidence. He might also be the victim of the security services and the UK government's refusal to release certain relevant documents to his defence team, which might make his conviction unsafe.

If Megrahi has only a few months to live, as we are told, I believe he should be released as soon as possible on compassionate grounds and allowed to spend his remaining time with his wife and family in Libya. Such a decision would bring credit, not disrepute, to our Scottish justice system. Why should the wishes of a dying man be denied by judicial red tape and the demands of some American families?

[The above is the text of a letter by Iain A D Mann in the edition of The Herald for 8 August. A letter by Malcolm W Ewen in The Scotsman of the same date reads as follows:]

Criticising the controversial meeting between the justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill, and the "Lockerbie bomber", Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi at Greenock Prison (your report, 6 August), the advocate Paul McBride QC, suggests people seem to have forgotten that Megrahi has been found guilty.

No, we haven't. We remember he was convicted eight years ago, by three judges in the absence of much relevant information which has come to light since the trial. We particularly remember that the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission concluded Megrahi might have suffered a miscarriage of justice.

Many believe the whole truth about the atrocity will probably be forever withheld, but people need to know once and for all if the conviction of the only person held responsible is safe.

Referring to Megrahi's lawyers, Mr McBride asks: "Tell me what Mr Megrahi can tell Mr MacAskill that these professionals can't?"

I suggest only Megrahi can look the justice secretary in the eye and say: "I'm innocent."