31/05/2004

Lockerbie bomber to appeal sentence

The man convicted of being behind the Lockerbie bombing, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, is challenging a court ruling which stated that he must spend at least 27 years in prison.

Megrahi - who is appealing the tariff on the grounds that it breaches his human rights under the European Convention - should be given leave to mount an appeal, the Scottish High Court has ruled. A hearing will be held in Edinburgh High Court on Friday to set a court date for the appeal.

Scotland's prosecution service, the Crown Office, has already lodged an appeal against the sentence – arguing that it is "unduly lenient". That appeal is scheduled to go ahead on June 28.

Megrahi is currently in Barlinnie prison where he is serving a life sentence for killing 270 people over Lockerbie in Scotland. Pan Am jet 103 exploded on December 21 1988 on route for New York, killing 259 people - a further 11 people were killed as debris rained down on the Scottish village.

The 52-year-old was convicted in 2001 at a special sitting of a Scottish court in Holland.

(gmcg)

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