Tuesday, August 25, 2009

SCOTLAND'S JUSTICE MINISTER DEFENDS LOCKERBIE RELEASE


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.
  • 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.
Source: Agencies

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