Lockerbie bomber has cancer

Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the Libyan convicted of bombing an airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 killing 270 people, has advanced cancer, his lawyer said.

"Following hospital tests, Mr al-Megrahi was last month diagnosed with prostate cancer," Tony Kelly, who is preparing an appeal against Megrahi's conviction, said by telephone from Scotland, where the Libyan is in prison.

"Unfortunately the disease has spread to other parts of his body and is therefore at an advanced stage. At this juncture, it would be unwise to attempt to predict his life expectancy."

The Pan Am jumbo jet was blown up as it flew from London to New York on Dec. 18, 1988, killing all 259 people on board, including 189 Americans. Eleven residents of the town of Lockerbie were killed by falling wreckage.

Megrahi, 56, a former Libyan intelligence agent, was convicted in 2001 after a trial held in the Netherlands under Scottish law and sentenced to life in prison. An initial appeal was rejected in 2002.

But a Scottish criminal review body decided last year that Megrahi was entitled to another appeal on the grounds that he might have been the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Kelly would not discuss whether clemency might be sought, given Megrahi's condition. Megrahi has said he would like to return to his wife and family in Libya, but would prefer to do so as an innocent man, with his conviction overturned.

"He wishes to make clear that the fight to overturn his wrongful conviction for the Lockerbie bombing will go on," Kelly said. "We on his legal team are continuing to prepare his appeal, which we hope will take place some time next year."

Libya has paid more than $2 billion to the families of victims on the basis that Megrahi was guilty, a move that has helped its international rehabilitation after long being regarded by the West as a pariah state.

A successful appeal would leave the case wide open after nearly two decades.

One of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's sons said earlier this year that he thought the victims' families had been "very greedy" in their negotiations to secure compensation for the attack.