Lockerbie bomber ‘able to get out of bed and walk’
Campaigner visits Megrahi in hospital in Tripoli for ‘man-to-man’ meeting
The convicted Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, freed 13 months ago by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds because he was suffering from terminal prostate cancer, is able to get out of bed and walk, despite being a very sick man.
The news comes courtesy of Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora was one of the 270 people killed when a PanAm jetliner exploded over Lockerbie in 1988.
"Abdelbaset remains a sick man," said Swire after visiting Megrahi in Tripoli last week, "but he is in better shape than I had dared to hope. His mind is perfectly clear."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Amid the continuing controversy over Megrahi's release and the fact that he has already lived nearly a year beyond the three months he was given, Swire has remained convinced that Megrahi deserved to be freed - because he was wrongly convicted in the first place.
His meeting with the Libyan was the first since he visited him in jail in Greenock in December 2008.
Swire, 74, found Megrahi in hospital, but in surprisingly good shape considering his predicament.
"I think one of the reasons he has lived so long is he has had good treatment in Libya and he has been returned to his family and his community and his country.
"These are a huge relief to the body in fighting cancer because your immune system depends very heavily on how much stress you are under."
Swire described his visit to Megrahi's bedside as a "man-to-man confidential meeting".
He said: "We met as brother members of the human race and seekers of a common goal - the re-examination of the available evidence which led to a verdict we believe was reached under political pressure rather than the rules of justice."
Megrahi still maintains his innocence and is desperate to see the verdict against him overturned, said Swire, who wants the Lockerbie case reopened to clear Megrahi's name - despite the Libyan having dropped his appeal.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
It's not just ice quantity that climate change affects. It's also quality.
Under the Radar Ice is getting thinner and frailer
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
What's behind Trump's last-minute merch push?
Today's Big Question With just weeks to go before the election, Donald Trump is spending the waning days of his campaign hawking a suite of new products, from silver coins to cryptocurrency
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kamala Harris' plan to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy
the explainer Tweaks, rather than sweeping overhauls, characterize the Democratic nominee's proposals
By David Faris Published
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listings
Speed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
By Mike Starling Published
-
House of the Dragon: what to expect from the Game of Thrones prequel
Speed Read Ten-part series, set 200 years before GoT, will show the incestuous decline of Targaryen
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
One in 20 young Americans identify as trans or non-binary
Speed Read New research suggests that 44% of US adults know someone who is transgender
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Turner Prize 2022: a ‘vintage’ shortlist?
Speed Read All four artists look towards ‘growth, revival and reinvention’ in their work
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
What’s on TV this Christmas? The best holiday television
Speed Read From films and documentaries to musicals for all the family
By The Week Staff Published
-
Coco vision: up close to Chanel opticals
Speed Read Parisian luxury house adds opticals to digital offering
By The Week Staff Published
-
Abba returns: how the Swedish supergroup and their ‘Abba-tars’ are taking a chance on a reunion
Speed Read From next May, digital avatars of the foursome will be performing concerts in east London
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘Turning down her smut setting’: how Nigella Lawson is cleaning up her recipes
Speed Read Last week, the TV cook announced she was axing the word ‘slut’ from her recipe for Slut Red Raspberries in Chardonnay Jelly
By The Week Staff Published