Lockerbie bomber al-Megrahi dead, says brother

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Libyan man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, has died, according to his brother.

He died at home after a long battle with cancer, his brother Abdulhakim told Reuters news agency today.

His death was also announced by his son, Khaled.

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, 59, was sentenced to life in prison for the 1988 bombing of a US airliner which claimed 270 lives.

The British Foreign Office said that it is investigating the report.

The bombing of the plane, travelling from London to New York four days before Christmas, killed all 259 people on board. Eleven residents of the Dumfries and Galloway town also died after the plane crashed down on their homes.

It was Britain’s biggest terrorist atrocity.

After protracted international pressure, Megrahi was put on trial under Scots law at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands.

He was found guilty in 2001 of mass murder and was ordered to serve a minimum of 27 years behind bars.

Despite claims that he could not have worked alone, and the lingering suspicion by some that he was innocent, Megrahi was the only man ever convicted over the terrorist attack.

He was freed from prison after serving nearly eight years of his sentence after he dropped his second appeal against conviction at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh.

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill’s decision to allow Megrahi to return home to die in Libya sparked international condemnation from some relatives of victims and politicians, who demanded he be returned to jail.

US families were among the most vocal critics of the decision, along with US president Barack Obama. US secretary of state Hillary Clinton branded the move “absolutely wrong”.

American fury at the decision was compounded by the hero’s welcome Megrahi received in Tripoli upon his return.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has also come under pressure from some US senators for an independent inquiry into the decision to free the bomber.

However, the move also attracted support from some victims’ relatives in Britain, and high profile figures such as Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.#

David Ben-Ayreah, a spokesman for the victims of Lockerbie families, said: “I was told seven days ago by very good sources in Tripoli that he was slipping in and out of quite deep comas, that the secondary tumours had affected his abdomen and lower chest, and that he had had three blood transfusions.

“His death is to be deeply regretted.

“As someone who attended the trial I have never taken the view that Megrahi was guilty.

“Megrahi is the 271st victim of Lockerbie.”

In August 2009, Mr MacAskill told the world that cancer sufferer Megrahi was going home to die amid suggestions he had about three months to live.

The Justice Secretary acted on the basis of a medical report provided to him by Dr Andrew Fraser, the director of health and social care at the Scottish Prison Service.

His report described the three-month prognosis as “reasonable”, but stated that no-one “would be willing to say” if Megrahi would live longer.

His death comes two years and nine months after his release from Greenock prison.

Scottish ministers have always insisted that their decision was made in good faith, on compassionate grounds alone and followed the due process of Scots law.

But those who opposed the decision insisted that Megrahi should not have been freed from jail in Scotland.

With each anniversary connected to Megrahi’s controversial release, calls were repeated for an apology from the Scottish Government and for more evidence to back up the decision.

Megrahi had rarely been seen since his return to Tripoli, but he was spotted on Libyan television at what appeared to be a pro-government rally in July.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the public appearance confirmed that a “great mistake” was made in releasing him from jail.

Prior to Megrahi’s death, reports suggested his prostate cancer had spread to his neck. Others said he had been kept alive with cancer drugs unavailable in the UK.

Consultant urologist professor Roger Kirby, founder and director of The Prostate Centre in London, said he believed that abiraterone was likely to have been responsible for Megrahi’s prolonged life well beyond the three-month point.

Last month Megrahi was reported to have been admitted to hospital for a blood transfusion.