I am very pleased that Baset has gone home to his wife,
family and friends. I strongly believe both Lamin, my original client, and
Baset are entirely innocent and thus victims.
To me Baset is a hero and deserved any hint of a hero's welcome he was allowed. He went with Lamin to Holland over 10 years ago expecting justice and never got it. He took the risk for his country and he was welcomed as a hero of his people not because he was ever a terrorist but because he is a son of Libya who suffered for her.
Of course I am sad he abandoned his Appeal he fought so very hard to obtain but I know he had no choice. Politics long usurped any role justice had to play.
The Justice Minister was right to release Baset. It was a decent decision. It was to be expected that as Minister he would support the conviction and laud the Judiciary, Prosecution and Police. It was striking he did not mention another Scottish, statutory body. The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. Had he forgotten their findings in favour of Baset and a new Appeal?
The inconvenient truth of this shocking case is that all is far from well within the Scottish legal system and sick to the core in scheming Whitehall. Pressurising a dying man, so desperate to return home, into dropping his legitimate appeal was beneath contempt but at least consistent. To suggest there was no such pressure is preposterous.
[An article by BBC News's Scotland correspondent James Cook headlined Lockerbie questions remain following Megrahi's death can be read here. A further article by the same correspondent headlined Megrahi dies protesting Lockerbie bombing innocence can be read here. Reactions to the news from politicians and Lockerbie relatives can be found here on the heraldscotland.com website. Megrahi's biographer, John Ashton, has published an obituary on his Megrahi: You are my Jury website.]
To me Baset is a hero and deserved any hint of a hero's welcome he was allowed. He went with Lamin to Holland over 10 years ago expecting justice and never got it. He took the risk for his country and he was welcomed as a hero of his people not because he was ever a terrorist but because he is a son of Libya who suffered for her.
Of course I am sad he abandoned his Appeal he fought so very hard to obtain but I know he had no choice. Politics long usurped any role justice had to play.
The Justice Minister was right to release Baset. It was a decent decision. It was to be expected that as Minister he would support the conviction and laud the Judiciary, Prosecution and Police. It was striking he did not mention another Scottish, statutory body. The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. Had he forgotten their findings in favour of Baset and a new Appeal?
The inconvenient truth of this shocking case is that all is far from well within the Scottish legal system and sick to the core in scheming Whitehall. Pressurising a dying man, so desperate to return home, into dropping his legitimate appeal was beneath contempt but at least consistent. To suggest there was no such pressure is preposterous.
[An article by BBC News's Scotland correspondent James Cook headlined Lockerbie questions remain following Megrahi's death can be read here. A further article by the same correspondent headlined Megrahi dies protesting Lockerbie bombing innocence can be read here. Reactions to the news from politicians and Lockerbie relatives can be found here on the heraldscotland.com website. Megrahi's biographer, John Ashton, has published an obituary on his Megrahi: You are my Jury website.]
I am very sad indeed about Megrahi's death and send my condolences to his family. I would also like to apologise for the great injustice done to them and Megrahi by a country that purports to serve justice. Unfortunately, if you look under the carpet, you will find that the UK with its partner the US are probably the most corrupt countries in the world. I hope that after all the turmoil of the revolution Libya will honour Megrahi as a victim of UK/US policy to control the country and its resources.
ReplyDeleteHe is gone, and the last 10 years of his life must have been painful.
ReplyDeleteThe already absurd conviction turned out to be even more absurd as time passed by, and one horrific piece of after the other surfaced. Not one single one of these supported the verdict.
It will have made all the difference in the world for Al-Megrahi that increasingly many people knew that he was wrongfully convicted, thanks to the people, who tirelessly worked to spread the truth.
A man will die, this we know.
But not so for the pillar of shame, created by the Scottish system of justice.
Built by elements of distortion, denial, outright lies, bribes and political expedience.
It will stand long after all of those who raised it have gone, casting a dark a shadow on their names,