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Lawyers for Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset ali al-Megrahi have set out their three main reasons for requesting his release at the Appeal Court in Edinburgh. Maggie Scott QC said these were the strength of his appeal, the length of time it was likely to take and the fact he was suffering a terminal illness. The bid has been given added urgency by news that Megrahi has prostate cancer. Ms Scott said the gravity of the offences Megrahi was convicted of was not sufficient reason to oppose bail. Megrahi's legal team has argued he should be granted interim liberation. This would run until a full hearing of his appeal, which is likely to take place in the middle of next year. It is more than five years since Megrahi's lawyers presented papers to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission claiming his conviction for the murder of 270 people was unsafe. That case reached the Appeal Court in June last year and since then has been bogged down by legal arguments. In long-running cases such as this, it is common for appellants to apply to be released from jail pending the ultimate decision of the appeal judges. But the news last month that the Lockerbie bomber, who is serving his life sentence in Greenock Prison for carrying out the 1988 atrocity, had advanced prostate cancer which has spread to other parts of his body, has given the moves added urgency. None of his advisors would speculate on Megrahi's life expectancy.
The man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing will remain in jail while his appeal continues, a court has ruled.Lawyers for Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who has advanced prostate cancer, had asked the Appeal Court in Edinburgh to grant him interim liberation.
