The psychological state of Abdelbaset Megrahi

Stricken by cancer, desperate to see his mother …

Little is known about the man who has already served 10 years in prison for the bombing of Pan Am 103 in December 1988.

Famous for being convicted of the worst terrorist atrocity on mainland Britain, which killed 270, the only things most people are aware of about Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi are the bare facts of his trial and appeals .

But the psychological report commissioned by the Libyan consul earlier this year reveals details of a man dedicated to his family.

It explains that, among his seven siblings, he has always had a strong attachment to his 85-year-old mother. She cannot visit him because of arthritis.

The report states: "Of all the children he was, and remains, particularly close to his mother who is now 85; since being in prison he has phoned her every day and every day she says that she hopes to see him again before she dies."

It also talks about his dedication to prayer and says his daily routine revolves around going to sleep after his final prayers at 9pm, and rising to pray at 4.30am.

The reports states: "There is little doubt that Mr. Megrahi is suffering high levels of emotional and psychological distress.

"He is not only dealing with a progressive fatal illness and unpleasant side-effects from his treatment, but also the stressful uncertainty of his prognosis.

"Unlike most people with cancer he is unable to access any form of confiding support.

"There is a lack of culturally appropriate support to enable Mr. Megrahi to give vent to the very natural emotions he is feeling and, in the face of his mortality, to adjust to and make peace with his impending death.

"Although his religion is a source of great solace, he is highly frustrated by his inability to care for his family."

Fiercely private, Megrahi has tried to keep his personal details and family out of the media spotlight.

The diagnosis in September last year of terminal prostate cancer has changed this. In December, his family spoke out for the first time and his wife Aisha Megrahi publicly pleaded for his release to allow him to spend his remaining time with her and their five children.

"Please release him so he can spend what few days he has left at home with his family," she told The Herald.

Megrahi's conviction in 2001 was seen as a huge triumph for the Scottish legal establishment and a symbol of changing international relations. However, serious doubts about his guilt have grown ever since.

A successful appeal would prove highly embarrassing, not just for the Scottish judicial system. It is understood some members of the UK and American security agencies would prefer the case not to be reopened publicly.

Talks to establish a Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA) between Libya and the UK began in 2005 but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office consistently denied that such discussions bore any relevance to Megrahi.

Such denials look particularly flimsy now that Libya has in fact applied to transfer Megrahi. At this stage it is a government-to-government application. The decision on whether to allow the transfer will be down to Scottish ministers, but it cannot be signed off unless Megrahi himself agrees to drop the appeal.

Despite seemingly interminable delays, his new appeal began in April. But with hopes of clearing his name so close to realisation, he has to face up to the fact he may not live to see its conclusion.

Faced with deciding to pursue the appeal - expected to be one of the most complex in Scottish legal history - and have the prospect of dying thousands of miles from home in a Scots prison, or drop the legal proceedings and apply for a transfer to Libya, it is impossible to say what he should or will do, but officials are working behind the scenes to persuade him to opt for the latter option.

In the meantime he has been forced to choose between a slow and lengthy appeal during which he is isolated from his family and which he may not live to see the end of, or applying to return to his home country and seeing his family before he dies. Few would blame him for choosing to return.

The psychological report concludes: "In my view it is self-evident that Mr Megrahi would be considerably less stressed, and at lower risk of depression, if he were able to be with his family, to receive their care and to be able to plan for their future. The prison environment adds to what is already a highly stressful situation for him and I have no doubt that a home environment would be highly beneficial to his psychological health, if not his physical health. It would also mean that he would be able to receive culturally sensitive care and support from others.

"At the very least, while he remains in prison he should be offered regular emotional support from someone trained in doing so, and preferably from someone who understands Mr Megrahi's cultural background and needs."

[The above is an article by Lucy Adams in today's edition of The Herald. A much shorter version of the same story from the Daily Record website can be accessed here.

The reasons for the very long absence of posts on this blog are that (a) I had to make a short visit to Scotland and (b) since my return to South Africa the phone lines in my remote part of the Northern Cape have been out of order and so I have been unable to access the internet.]