Dad of student killed in Lockerbie bombing has blasted a bid to clear the man convicted of the atrocity that claimed 270 lives
Peter Lowenstein, 82, said it was 'an outrage' to claim that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was innocent
THE dad of a student killed in the Lockerbie bombing has blasted a bid to clear the man convicted of the atrocity.
Peter Lowenstein, 82, said it was “an outrage” to claim that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was innocent.
He hit out as it emerged Megrahi’s relatives in Libya plan to launch a legal action to appeal against his conviction for the blast that sent Pan Am Flight 103 crashing into the Dumfriesshire town in 1988, killing 270.
US pensioner Peter, who lost his son Alex, 21, said: “Over the years there’s been no evidence showing Megrahi was not guilty.
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“He was found guilty by a Scottish court and, as far as I’m concerned, he murdered 270.
“I don’t think his family should have the right to try to show he was innocent. The whole thing is an outrage.” But the grieving dad, of Montauk, New York state, added: “This doesn’t in any way open a wound for me — it’s been open since 1988.”
Megrahi was handed a 27-year sentence in 2001. He died of cancer in 2012, aged 60, three years after being let out of from Greenock nick on compassionate grounds.
His family’s Scots lawyer, Aamer Anwar, confirmed yesterday he’ll hand files to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission in a bid to clear his name. He met Megrahi’s widow Aisha and son Ali in Switzerland recently.
It’s believed the appeal centres on concerns over some of the evidence against the Libyan.
Mr Anwar said: “This case has been described as the UK’s worst miscarriage of justice.
“There are widespread doubts over the conviction. The only place to address those doubts is in the Court of Appeal.”
Megrahi lost an appeal against his conviction in 2002. Later the SCCRC recommended he get a second appeal but this was dropped before his release in 2009.
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