The bomber convicted of downing Pan Am 103 is in the final stages of terminal illness. Should he be allowed to die at home in Libya? The majority of US victim's families believe he should die in jail and are quite concerned that Scotland may actually free him instead. So who's right?

Most of the evidence that convicted him looks spectacularly thin, so letting him out might be a reasonable ploy.

Even scapegoats need a break every now and then.

IIRC he was tried and jailed under Scottish Law which makes the decision the preserve of the Scottish justice minister. Also depends on whether Scotland has a reciprocal agreement with Libya

As a general rule, are mass murderers dying of terminal illnesses normally released from prison?

Having known someone whose daughter was killed in the attack and the effect her death had on him I would vote for him staying where he is.

The UK Governemnt have an agreement with Libya (Scotland still remains part of the UK as I type this).

Good point jova

I thought he was "going home" to be placed in a Libyan jail?

Aside from any legal / moral issues (and knowing that a Wikipedia admin involved herself very closely with all Wikipedia articles relating to Lockerbie, rendering them pretty much useless from a 'what really went on' point of view), I was somewhat surprised by the following STW friendly line included in the Al-Megrahi Wikipedia article…

"Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi is famous for his wide collection of cheeses. This contains over 2000 different varieties, including over 100 different Cheddars."!

I thought one of you must have left it there, but apparently not…

As a matter of basic humanity, I have no problem with sending him home. As sofatester points out, I don't think anyone is giving him a pardon or his liberty, he's just going to be allowed to die a bit closer to home. As ScottChegg points out, his death is an absolute godsend to the US and British authorities, who will not have to hear the appeal against his stitch-up once he's dead.

Amazing about the cheeses…

So it won't be along the lines of "drop the appeal and you get to go home" then?

Given that we can release people like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankill_Butchers this for essentially political reasons, back into the communities that they terrorised, I would suggest that sending an ill man to a different country to die ranks pretty low on my outrageommeter.

Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. Just some people are more equal than others!

Free the Cheesemaster!

Like all terrorists he should be released back into the arms of his community – I just wouldn't bother with the details like landing the plane.

He should be released on grounds he is innocent.

His trial was a political stitch up.

Jim Swires who knows more than any of us about this is convinced there has been a major miscarriage of justice.

TandemJeremy – Member

He should be released on grounds he is innocent.

His trial was a political stitch up.

Jim Swires who knows more than any of us about this is convinced there has been a major miscarriage of justice.

+1 http://www.lockerbietruth.com/

I'm with TJ. He didn't do it and that's why he should be sent home / freed.