News In Focus
17 November 2008
Lockerbie bomber refused compassionate bail
The criminal appeal court in Edinburgh has rejected the convicted Lockerbie bomber's appeal for an interim release from prison.
Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi's lawyers had asked for him to be released while awaiting the results of his appeal against his conviction as he has prostate cancer which has spread to other parts of his body.
The application was rejected by the court on Friday. The Lord Justice General, Lord Hamilton, said Megrahi was not suffering material pain or disability and his prognosis was uncertain. It was possible that he could live for years.
Pointing out that his legal team had lodged a large number of grounds of appeal, inevitably leading to a protracted process, Lord Hamilton said that on balance, on the information before it, the court was not persuaded that it was right to admit Megrahi to bail on compassionate grounds at this stage.
In a statement read out by his lawyer Tony Kelly after the decision was anounced, Megrahi said he was very disappointed by the decision to refuse him bail.