MSPs will “watch with interest” a planned bid by the family of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi to appeal against his conviction.
The case is expected to be handed to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) which investigates possible miscarriages of justice and will decide whether there are grounds for referral to the appeal court.
MSPs on Holyrood’s Justice Committee agreed to keep open a long-running petition from Justice for Megrahi campaigners calling for an independent inquiry into Megrahi’s conviction in 2001 for the 1988 bombing which killed 270 people.
In a written submission, the campaigners said reports of the planned appeal bid indicate “a significant development for those pursuing the truth about Lockerbie”.
Committee convener Margaret Mitchell said: “Recently publicity suggests that the family of Mr Megrahi will launch a bid to appeal against his conviction in the coming weeks so we will watch that with interest and see if that affects where we go from here.” (...)
His widow Aisha and son Ali are expected to present concerns over the evidence which convicted Megrahi, including that given by Maltese shopkeeper Tony Gauci, who died last year.
Megrahi lost an appeal against his conviction in 2002, with the SCCRC recommending in 2007 that he should be granted a second appeal.
He dropped the second attempt to overturn his conviction in 2009, ahead of his return to Libya.
I would expect them to find some pretext to stop this appeal as the consequences of a successful appeal would be very bad for Britain and America's standing in the world.
ReplyDeleteYou may 'expect'. We fight!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard not to agree with John Curran.
ReplyDeleteIt's impossible not to admire JfM.
And though the ultimate goal - the overturning of an insane conviction - is not reached, all the lost battles has lead to the most important victory of all: the massive spread of the knowledge of the truth, on a scale only the most optimistic could have hoped for. That is what it is all about. What some corrupt institution is forced to claim does not really matter much, although it is disturbing for those who has to live under it, and would need things to be different.