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| Lockerbie bombing: Court hears third appeal against guilty verdict | Lockerbie bombing: Court hears third appeal against guilty verdict |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Abdelbaset al-Megrahi died in 2012 but his family pursued the posthumous appeal | Abdelbaset al-Megrahi died in 2012 but his family pursued the posthumous appeal |
| A third appeal on behalf of the Libyan man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has started at the High Court in Edinburgh. | A third appeal on behalf of the Libyan man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has started at the High Court in Edinburgh. |
| Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's family want it to rule that he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice. | Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's family want it to rule that he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice. |
| He was found guilty in 2001 after standing trial at a specially convened Scottish court in the Netherlands. | He was found guilty in 2001 after standing trial at a specially convened Scottish court in the Netherlands. |
| He died in 2012 but his family launched a bid for the posthumous appeal which will now be heard by five judges. | He died in 2012 but his family launched a bid for the posthumous appeal which will now be heard by five judges. |
| Lockerbie - The town scarred by Pan Am flight 103 | Lockerbie - The town scarred by Pan Am flight 103 |
| Megrahi was convicted of the bombing of Pan Am 103 on 21 December 1988. | |
| All 259 passengers and crew on board the flight were killed, along with 11 people in Lockerbie who died when the wreckage fell onto their homes. | All 259 passengers and crew on board the flight were killed, along with 11 people in Lockerbie who died when the wreckage fell onto their homes. |
| A total of 270 people died in the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 | A total of 270 people died in the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 |
| After his conviction in 2001, Megrahi lost a first appeal the following year. | After his conviction in 2001, Megrahi lost a first appeal the following year. |
| He abandoned a second shortly before the Scottish government released him from prison on compassionate grounds in 2009. | He abandoned a second shortly before the Scottish government released him from prison on compassionate grounds in 2009. |
| Terminally ill with cancer, he returned to Libya and died there three years later. | Terminally ill with cancer, he returned to Libya and died there three years later. |
| However, his family continued their efforts to ensure a further appeal against his conviction. | However, his family continued their efforts to ensure a further appeal against his conviction. |
| The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission referred his the case back to the courts in March this year. | The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission referred his the case back to the courts in March this year. |
| It said it believed that no reasonable court, relying on the evidence led at the trial, could have decided that the case had been proved beyond reasonable doubt. | It said it believed that no reasonable court, relying on the evidence led at the trial, could have decided that the case had been proved beyond reasonable doubt. |
| It also said prosecutors at the Crown Office had failed to disclose information to the defence, denying Megrahi a fair trial. | It also said prosecutors at the Crown Office had failed to disclose information to the defence, denying Megrahi a fair trial. |
| 'No time limit' | 'No time limit' |
| Three judges, led by Scotland's most senior judge, the Lord Justice General Lord Carloway, gave the case the authority to proceed on the points raised by the commission. | Three judges, led by Scotland's most senior judge, the Lord Justice General Lord Carloway, gave the case the authority to proceed on the points raised by the commission. |
| They also allowed a number of additional grounds of appeal submitted by lawyers acting for Megrahi's family. | They also allowed a number of additional grounds of appeal submitted by lawyers acting for Megrahi's family. |
| They refused to give them permission to argue that he was unfairly convicted because of "a systematic failure of disclosure" by the Crown Office. | They refused to give them permission to argue that he was unfairly convicted because of "a systematic failure of disclosure" by the Crown Office. |
| Aamer Anwar, who represents the family, said there could "never be a time limit on justice" and said they had never given up their "search for the truth". | Aamer Anwar, who represents the family, said there could "never be a time limit on justice" and said they had never given up their "search for the truth". |
| The appeal is being conducted via video link and is expected to last several days with a decision to be delivered at a later date. | The appeal is being conducted via video link and is expected to last several days with a decision to be delivered at a later date. |
| How did we get here? | How did we get here? |
| Megrahi was released from prison in 2009 on compassionate grounds | Megrahi was released from prison in 2009 on compassionate grounds |
| US and British investigators indicted Megrahi in 1991 but he was not handed over by the Libyans until April 1999. | US and British investigators indicted Megrahi in 1991 but he was not handed over by the Libyans until April 1999. |
| May 2000 - A special trial under Scots law starts on neutral ground at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands. | May 2000 - A special trial under Scots law starts on neutral ground at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands. |
| 31 January 2001 - Former Libyan intelligence officer Megrahi is found guilty of mass murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years. | 31 January 2001 - Former Libyan intelligence officer Megrahi is found guilty of mass murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years. |
| March 2002 - Megrahi loses an appeal against his conviction. | March 2002 - Megrahi loses an appeal against his conviction. |
| September 2003 - The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) is asked to investigate Megrahi's conviction. | September 2003 - The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) is asked to investigate Megrahi's conviction. |
| June 2007 - The SCCRC recommends that Megrahi is granted a second appeal against his conviction. | June 2007 - The SCCRC recommends that Megrahi is granted a second appeal against his conviction. |
| 18 August 2009 - Megrahi's move to drop his second appeal is accepted by judges at the High Court in Edinburgh. | 18 August 2009 - Megrahi's move to drop his second appeal is accepted by judges at the High Court in Edinburgh. |
| 20 August 2009 - Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, is released from prison on compassionate grounds. | 20 August 2009 - Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, is released from prison on compassionate grounds. |
| May 2012 - Megrahi dies at his home in Tripoli, aged 60. | May 2012 - Megrahi dies at his home in Tripoli, aged 60. |
| July 2015 - Scottish judges rule that relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims should not be allowed to pursue an appeal on Megrahi's behalf. Courts had previously ruled that only next of kin could proceed with a posthumous application. | July 2015 - Scottish judges rule that relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims should not be allowed to pursue an appeal on Megrahi's behalf. Courts had previously ruled that only next of kin could proceed with a posthumous application. |
| July 2017 - Megrahi's family launched a new bid to appeal against his conviction. | July 2017 - Megrahi's family launched a new bid to appeal against his conviction. |
| March 2020 - The Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission said Megrahi's conviction could be taken to a fresh appeal. | March 2020 - The Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission said Megrahi's conviction could be taken to a fresh appeal. |
| August 2020 - The posthumous appeal is given permission to proceed. | August 2020 - The posthumous appeal is given permission to proceed. |