advertisement

Lockerbie bomber's family launches new bid to clear his name

LONDON (AP) - The family of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is launching a fresh effort to posthumously clear his name.

Lawyer Aamer Anwar will be handing a dossier of evidence to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission as soon as this week. The commission will decide whether to hand the case to an appeals court.

Al-Megrahi was convicted of blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie on Dec. 21, 1988.

The bomb shattered the New York-bound Boeing 747, killing all 259 people aboard and 11 on the ground. Many victims were American college students flying home for Christmas.

Al-Megrahi lost one appeal and abandoned another before being freed in 2009 on compassionate grounds. He died of cancer in 2012, still protesting his innocence.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.