Lockerbie bomber abandons appeal
Updated on 14 August 2009
Abdel Baset al Megrahi drops his appeal against his conviction for the Lockerbie bomb and could be released on compassionate grounds as early as next week.
The man jailed for the Lockerbie bombing applied two days ago to the High Court in Edinburgh to abandon his appeal against conviction, according to his lawyers.
There's been mounting speculation that Abdel Baset al Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, will be released on compassionate grounds as early as next week. His lawyers said his condition had taken a "significant turn for the worse" in recent weeks.
The Libyan is the only person to have been convicted over the 1988 bombing which killed 270 people when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie. He was convicted in 2001 and is serving a life term with a minimum of 27 years.
The Libyan government applied in May for him to be transferred to Libya to serve the rest of his sentence.
Britain has a prisoner transfer treaty with that country but no transfer can be made if there are outstanding legal proceedings. Dropping the appeal would remove this potential block.
A court hearing to discuss Megrahi's application to drop his appeal will take place in Edinburgh on Tuesday.
Last month Megrahi put in a separate request to the Scottish Government to be released on compassionate grounds, which can be granted even if an appeal is still under way.
Reports yesterday said Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is likely to grant this request and it could happen as early as next week - before the start of Ramadan. But the Scottish Government insisted no decision has yet been made.
