On December 10, 1988, 270 innocent people died in a despicable terror attack as a Pan-Am Flight 103 exploded over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie. 

Sifting through the debris and possessions of the victims among the wreckage soon after the tragedy, police found wrapped Christmas presents, children’s teddies and other gifts for various loved ones.

Following a three-year investigation by the FBI and the Scottish authorities it was claimed the perpetrators of this nightmare were Libyan intelligence officers Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah.

Arrest warrants were issued for these two Libyan nationals in November 1991. However, the decision to hand them over for trial was only taken in 1999 by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi after years of protracted negotiations and UN sanctions.

The two were tried at a Scottish court in The Netherlands and Al-Megrahi was jailed for life after being found guilty of 270 counts of murder while Fhimah was acquitted. However, in 2009 Al-Megrahi was released on compassionate grounds due to ill-health. He died in Libya in 2012. In my opinion, he should have never have been released from jail.

A prayer in memory of these victims who perished is kindly solicited. May God grant them eternal rest.