Decision expected on Lockerbie bomber conviction appeal application

A decision will be published today on whether or not the Lockerbie bomber's conviction appeal can be taken forward.

Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi was the only person ever imprisoned for blowing up Pan Am Flight 103, which was bound for New York from London, back in 1988.

The death toll was 270 people. That included everyone on board the plane and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie.

Mr Megrahi was convicted in 2001 of their murder. He subsequently appealed but it was refused by the High Court in 2002.

He then applied to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission for a review of his conviction in 2003 and his case was referred to the High Court again for a new appeal in 2007.

But Mr Megrahi abandoned that appeal in 2009. He was released from prison on compassionate grounds shortly after being diagnosed with prostate cancer and died in 2012.

A new application was lodged with the Commission on his behalf in 2017 by his family. It is also supported by Rev. John Mosey whose daughter Helga died on the flight aged 19 years-old and Dr. Jim Swire who lost his daughter Flora aged 23.

He said: "The trial in Holland ended in 2001, and it is now 2020.

"Ever since the end of that trial we have been aware of evidence that appeared to show that Megrahi was not involved.

"Our simple request is lets have a fair and open appeal court in which all the evidence can be re-examined.

"That is what we would like and that is what we hope may come from the events.

"I became over the years a friend of Megrahi having met him on a number of occasions and I know how important it was to him before he died that the verdict against him, that he always denied was true, was removed."

Lawyer Aamer Anwar said, "When Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie on the 21st December 1988 killing 270 people from 21 countries, it was the worst terrorist atrocity ever committed in the UK.

"Many believe that Al-Megrahi was the victim of a miscarriage of justice whilst Libya was punished with international sanctions and ordered to pay compensation. The finger of blame has been pointed in the direction of Iran for having ordered a Syrian- Palestinian group to carry out a revenge attack for the downing of an Iranian Airbus by the USS Vincennes on the 3rd July 1988 which killed all 290 on board.

"It has been a long journey in the pursuit for truth and justice but the only place to determine whether a miscarriage of justice did occur is in the Scottish Appeal Court, the families we represent hope that the Commission will take the necessary action to allow this to happen.”