Public anger at bomber release anniversary
Relatives of victims of the Lockerbie bombing have described their continued distress that the man convicted of the atrocity remains in Libya almost two years to the day since he was freed on compassionate grounds.
Those who oppose the decision, made by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill on August 20 2009, insist Abdelbaset al-Megrahi should not have been freed from jail in Scotland.
Megrahi was said to be about three months from death after being diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
Despite the anger from critics of the decision, others hit out at the “annual Lockerbie bomber blood fest”.
Some relatives of victims, and other campaigners, believe Megrahi is innocent, or that all legal avenues have not yet been followed through.
Pamela Dix, whose brother Peter was killed in the bombing, said: “It’s extremely frustrating that we’re here, still talking about this.
“The fact that it’s now years later means that the decision was probably made on a spurious basis.
“I’m sure Kenny MacAskill made it in good faith, but why are we having this discussion now? It’s just another thing that remains unsolved.”
Ms Dix, who lives in Woking, Surrey, said too much confusion surrounds the legal process.
“The court found him guilty, but he refused to speak and dropped his appeal. The release left us in limbo,” she added.
Of the 270 people who died when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up in December 1988, 189 were Americans. US families were among the most vocal critics of the decision, along with President Barack Obama.
Bob Monetti, from New Jersey in the US, who lost his son Rick in the attack, said: “The whole thing was a put-up job to start with. He was released because they (the Government) wanted business with the Libyans.
“Hopefully the Gaddafi regime will fall and we’ll find out more.
“It has certainly put the Scottish Government in a bad light.”
Mr Monetti, who said he “absolutely disagreed” with the decision to free Megrahi, said the idea that he can be properly monitored in Libya is a “joke”.
He added: “It’s just not possible. They couldn’t possibly watch him there, unless it’s on the television.”
The job of checking in with Megrahi fell to East Renfrewshire Council because he had a family home in the area.
A council spokesman said the monthly medical updates are still being received and contact was made “very recently”.
The spokesman added: “All of our contact is up to date. There has been no breach in the release licence conditions.”
The council makes direct contact with Megrahi and does not have to go through any government or other agency in Libya, the spokesman said.
Robert Forrester, of the Justice for Megrahi campaign, writing in the Scottish Review, said: “Here we go again. As the date of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi’s compassionate release approaches, we enter what has become the annual Lockerbie bomber blood fest.”
The campaign group wants an independent inquiry to look again at the conviction.
“It requires supreme courage on the part of the Scottish Government to show that we are not afraid to look ourselves in the mirror and admit that we are simply human and are capable of making mistakes, no matter how hard we may try to avoid them,” he added.
