In support of Justice for Megrahi’s (JFM’s) call for a full and open public inquiry, the group has lobbied the following bodies and individuals:
• the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation
• all missions with a seat at the General Assembly of the UN
• the African Union
• the League of Arab States
• the Non-Aligned Movement
• the President of Egypt
• the governments of Libya, Malta, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, United States of America and Scotland
With the exception of the Maltese and Scottish governments, none of the above has responded to our advances.
In September 2010, JFM made representations to the First Minister, Mr Alex Salmond MSP, in the hope that the Scottish Government would establish an inquiry into the affair under its auspices citing the following reasons:
• the event occurred over and on Scottish territory.
• the case was investigated by a Scottish police force.
• the trial was conducted under Scots Law.
• Mr Al-Megrahi was convicted under Scots Law.
• Mr Al-Megrahi was imprisoned in a Scottish gaol.
• the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission referred the second appeal to the Scottish Court of Appeal.
• Mr Al-Megrahi was given compassionate release by the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice.
In declining JFM’s submission, a Scottish Government spokesman stated the following as justification for the decision not to endorse the campaign’s request that Edinburgh set up an inquiry into the Lockerbie case:
“The Scottish Government do not doubt the safety of the conviction of al-Megrahi. Nevertheless, there remain concerns to some on the wider issues of the Lockerbie atrocity. The questions to be asked and answered in any such inquiry would be beyond the jurisdiction of Scots Law and the remit of the Scottish Government, and such an inquiry would, therefore, need to be initiated by those with the required power and authority to deal with an issue, international in its nature.”
JFM continues to maintain that more than adequate evidence required to establish whether there was a miscarriage of justice at Kamp van Zeist falls well within the jurisdiction of Scotland. Amongst other things, JFM points to all documents and testimony pertaining to the investigation, the trial and the referral of Mr al-Megrahi’s conviction back to the Court of Appeal, on no fewer than six grounds, by the SCCRC. Moreover JFM asserts that in accordance with “current UK legislation as expressed by the Inquiries Act 2005 (c12), which indicates, in sections 1, 27 and 32, that the Scottish Government possesses more than adequate powers to open an inquiry into the Lockerbie case under its own auspices.”
(see: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/12/contents)
For the above reasons, JFM now wishes to petition the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to support its call for an inquiry and through an e-petition to allow the general public at home and abroad to become signatories to that petition.