Wednesday 18 January 2012

Documentary - Dr Jim Swire visits Al-Megrahi

[This is the headline over a report published yesterday evening on the Newsnet Scotland website.  It reads as follows:]

On Thursday 19th January at 7.30pm ITV1 and STV are due to broadcast a programme about a visit by Dr Jim Swire to Libya in December 2011.

During this visit Mr Swire met with Abdel Baset al Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, and also a number of key figures in the Libyan Interim Government.

At present the group called Justice for Megrahi (JFM), of which Mr Swire is a member, have a petition before the Holyrood Justice Committee, and also the SNP Government are currently taking steps which may make the findings of the SCCRC on Lockerbie more publicly available.

The conviction of Mr Megrahi has been the subject of debate and doubt ever since he was convicted.  This escalated in August 2009 when the Libyan was released on compassionate grounds by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

Many people believe that Mr Megrahi was wrongfully convicted.  The imminent publication of John Ashton's biography of Megrahi is expected to reveal the evidence that led the SCCRC to conclude that a miscarriage of justice may have taken place.

[The readers' comments which follow the article are also worth attention.

For those outside the United Kingdom who wish to watch the programme after broadcast on the ITV player, I am told that this is possible via a UK-based proxy server, such as this. Others can be found by googling "UK proxy server".]

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