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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| New appeal for Lockerbie bomber | New appeal for Lockerbie bomber |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing is to begin a second appeal against his conviction for blowing up a Pan Am flight 21 years ago. | The Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing is to begin a second appeal against his conviction for blowing up a Pan Am flight 21 years ago. |
| Lawyers for Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who has prostate cancer, said judges at his trial heard insufficient evidence to convict him beyond reasonable doubt. | Lawyers for Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who has prostate cancer, said judges at his trial heard insufficient evidence to convict him beyond reasonable doubt. |
| Megrahi, 57, will not be present at the appeal in Edinburgh, which is expected to last at least four weeks. | Megrahi, 57, will not be present at the appeal in Edinburgh, which is expected to last at least four weeks. |
| A total of 270 people died when the plane exploded over Lockerbie in 1988. | A total of 270 people died when the plane exploded over Lockerbie in 1988. |
| They included 11 people on the ground as wreckage from Pan Am Flight 103, which had been heading from London to New York, fell from the sky. | |
| Megrahi has already lost one appeal, which was heard in a special Scottish Court in the Netherlands a year after his conviction in January 2001. | Megrahi has already lost one appeal, which was heard in a special Scottish Court in the Netherlands a year after his conviction in January 2001. |
| Since then he has been in prison in Scotland, and must remain in jail until at least 2026. | Since then he has been in prison in Scotland, and must remain in jail until at least 2026. |
| In 2007, after a four-year investigation, a second appeal was ordered by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, which said his conviction "may be unsafe". | In 2007, after a four-year investigation, a second appeal was ordered by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, which said his conviction "may be unsafe". |
| Currently he is held in Greenock Prison, where he was diagnosed as suffering from terminal prostate cancer. | Currently he is held in Greenock Prison, where he was diagnosed as suffering from terminal prostate cancer. |
| In October, 2008 appeal court judges rejected his plea to be released from jail on compassionate grounds. | In October, 2008 appeal court judges rejected his plea to be released from jail on compassionate grounds. |
| APPEAL TIMELINE January 2001: Megrahi convictedMarch 2002: Appeal rejectedJune 2007 "Conviction unsafe"October 2008: Cancer diagnosed | APPEAL TIMELINE January 2001: Megrahi convictedMarch 2002: Appeal rejectedJune 2007 "Conviction unsafe"October 2008: Cancer diagnosed |
| Megrahi's legal team argue the three judges who presided over his trial at Kamp van Zeist near Utrecht were presented with insufficient evidence to be able to find him guilty. | Megrahi's legal team argue the three judges who presided over his trial at Kamp van Zeist near Utrecht were presented with insufficient evidence to be able to find him guilty. |
| They will also say evidence brought forward by the Crown at the trial was rejected by the judges - even though it was crucial to cast doubt on the prosecution case. | They will also say evidence brought forward by the Crown at the trial was rejected by the judges - even though it was crucial to cast doubt on the prosecution case. |
| The second appeal will be heard by five judges, headed by Scotland's senior judge, the Lord Justice General, Lord Hamilton. | The second appeal will be heard by five judges, headed by Scotland's senior judge, the Lord Justice General, Lord Hamilton. |
| If Megrahi is unsuccessful in this stage of the appeal process, further grounds will be brought forward. | If Megrahi is unsuccessful in this stage of the appeal process, further grounds will be brought forward. |
| These will cast doubt on vital prosecution witnesses, in particular, a Maltese shopkeeper, Tony Gauci, who identified Megrahi as a man who bought clothes in which the bomb was said to have been wrapped. | These will cast doubt on vital prosecution witnesses, in particular, a Maltese shopkeeper, Tony Gauci, who identified Megrahi as a man who bought clothes in which the bomb was said to have been wrapped. |
| Defence lawyers will bring forward new evidence about the fragment of circuit board from the bomb timer, which was a crucial part of the prosecution case. | Defence lawyers will bring forward new evidence about the fragment of circuit board from the bomb timer, which was a crucial part of the prosecution case. |
| And they will also argue documents sent to the UK government by a foreign power - and seen by prosecutors - were not revealed to Megrahi's lawyers. | And they will also argue documents sent to the UK government by a foreign power - and seen by prosecutors - were not revealed to Megrahi's lawyers. |
| The foreign secretary has tried to keep the documents secret and a security-cleared special advocate has been appointed to represent Megrahi's interests in arguments about whether they should be revealed. | The foreign secretary has tried to keep the documents secret and a security-cleared special advocate has been appointed to represent Megrahi's interests in arguments about whether they should be revealed. |