Scotland's justice minister has defended his decision to release the man convicted of the 1988 Pan Am airline bombing at an emergency debate in parliament.
Source: Agencies
- Kenny MacAskill reiterated that the decision to free Abdel Basset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds was made in accordance with Scottish law and was not influenced by politics, diplomacy or trade.
- "In Scotland we are a people who pride ourselves on our humanity. The perpetration of an outrage, cannot and should not be the basis for losing sight of who we are," he said.
- He also added that Libya, which celebrated al-Megrahi's return, had previously assured Scotland it would give the former Libyan agent a "low key" reception.
- "Assurances had been given by the Libyan government that any return would be dealt with in a low-key and sensitive fashion. I regret very much that those assurances were not adhered to," MacAskill said on Monday.
- The Scottish government's emergency session was held as it faced unrelenting criticism from the US government, the families of some bombing victims and politicians within the UK.
- Al-Megrahi, 57, who is dying from prostate cancer, was released from prison in Scotland last Friday.
- He had been sentenced to life in prison in 2001 for planting a bomb on Pan Am Flight 103, which killed 270 people when it exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie on December 21, 1988.
- MacAskill told Scottish ministers he would co-operate with any inquiry into al-Megrahi's release.
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