[QUOTE="psychobrew"][QUOTE="Kid-Icarus-"]
Megrahi had lodged an appeal which was due to be heard by the courts. It is likely there was new evidence which was going to be embarassing for the UK Government, The Scottish Legal System and possibly the US Government. He dropped his appeal and now he has been released on compassionate grounds. There was almost certainly a deal - if he dropped the appeal (saving this evidence from coming to light) he would be realeased. It has nothing to do with compassion. Megrahi is also most likely not responsible for the Lockerbie Bombing. The Scottish and UK Governments know that. This way they don't have to admit they were wrong. The whole saga makes me ashamed of our Legal System here in Scotland, not because he has been released, but because the appeal was never heard, we will never know the truth, and because Megrahi was ever imprissioned in the first place.
Kid-Icarus-
So what is this evidence that absolves him? Well we don't know what all the new evidence was. From the BBC news website: "Secret documents before the Appeal Court - which even the defence has not seen - might have provided new information. They will now remain undisclosed, after the foreign secretary issued a Public Information Immunity certificate stating that to publish them would be to the detriment of UK national security." hmmm ...There has been plenty of evidence previously that casts doubt on his guilt however. It was a political trial from the beginning. Evidence at the previous appeal that the CIA withheld documents from the defence, that the FBI paid a witness $4million to testify. That the chief prosecution witness was paid to testify. The UN observer at the trial said there was a 'totalitarian nature' to that appeal and it 'beared the hallmarks of an intelligence operation'. One of Megrahi most vocal supporters is the Father of a girl who died in the bombing by the way. This case is not clear cut.
Just to reiterate some of these points. Here is a selection of quotes from people who have been a part of or studied the Lockerbie Bombing trial. These are respected people, not conspiracy crackpots:"I went into that court thinking I was going to see the trial of those who were responsible for the murder of my daughter. I came out thinking he had been framed. I am very afraid that we saw steps taken to ensure that a politically desired result was obtained" - Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora was killed in the bombing.
"I am sorry to admit that my impression is that justice was not done and that we are dealing here with a rather spectacular case of a miscarriage of justice" - Dr. Hans Koechler, the UN Observer at the trial, on the court's decision in rejecting the first appeal.
"the most disgraceful miscarriage of justice in Scotland for 100 years" - Professor Robert Black QC - prof. of Scots Law at the University of Edinburgh and a highly respected lawyer, commenting on Megrahi's conviction.
"If they had been tried by an ordinary Scottish jury of 15, who were given standard instructions about how they must approach the evidence, standard instructions about reasonable doubt and what must happen if there is a reasonable doubt about the evidence, no Scottish jury could have convicted Megrahi on the evidence led at the trial." - Professor Robert Black QC
"I do not accept his [Kenny MacAskill's] endorsement of the guilt of Mr Megrahi, whom I continue to believe had nothing whatsoever to do with the crime of Lockerbie." - Sir Tam Dalyell former member of the UK Parliament on Megrahi's release yesterday.
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