Jail killed me a million times

Breaking his silence on the first anniversary of his release, the 58-year-old cancer sufferer said he was disgusted by those who effectively wanted him dead.

'They want to quicken my death. Is it up to me?' Abdelbaset Al Megrahi Megrahi told journalists in his home city of Tripoli.

'They killed me in prison a million times, denied as I was from seeing my children and family. So what more do they want from me?' (...)

Megrahi denies having anything to do with the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 in which 270 died.

He began his second year of freedom talking to friends in Scotland and watching British TV.

Megrahi sat up in bed in his home in front of a large plasma screen, surrounded by close family.

Despite having difficulty speaking, he managed a few words to telephone callers, but mainly exchanged greetings via email. Meanwhile, VIP friends including members of Colonel Gaddafi's family visited his two-storey villa, bringing gifts to mark the first anniversary of his release. (...)

Megrahi has not been seen in public since December but those who arrived at his house in Mercedes and BMW limousines reported that he was 'comfortable and surrounded by loved ones'.

'Brother Abdelbaset has been sat up in bed and keeping his mind active,' said one.

'He has friends in Scotland following his many years there and was talking with them.

'He misses certain people in Scotland, and was asking about the obvious things - the weather, that kind of thing. He wanted to know how Glasgow Rangers, his favourite football team, were doing.'

Among those visiting him was Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif, whose charitable foundation is bankrolling his cancer treatment.

Megrahi, who can now only walk with the aid of a stick, arrived home in Libya on August 20 last year. He is living with his wife, 48-year-old Aisha, and the couple's four sons and daughter.

Both Britain and the U.S. have started investing millions into Libya since Megrahi's release, with the North African country in turn pouring just as much into the UK.

[From a report in today's edition of the Daily Mail.]