Bomber's Family Returns to Libya As Visas Run Out
Relatives of the Lockerbie bomber left their Scottish home yesterday, days before their visas ran out, and returned to Libya to reapply for permission to live in Britain. Under Home Office rules, the family of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi have to return to their home country in order to reapply...
Relatives of the Lockerbie bomber left their Scottish home yesterday, days before their visas ran out, and returned to Libya to reapply for permission to live in Britain.
Under Home Office rules, the family of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi have to return to their home country in order to reapply for leave to stay in the UK. Megrahi's lawyers have complained that this is unfair as it denies him family visits.
His wife and four of the couple's five children left their home on the outskirts of Glasgow yesterday and will apply for permission to return to the UK from Libya.
Megrahi, a senior official with the Libyan secret service, the JSO, was convicted of the murder of the 270 people who died in the Lockerbie bombing following a year-long trial at the specially established Scottish court in the Netherlands.
A spokesman for his Scottish solicitor, Eddie MacKechnie, confirmed that the family had left for Libya. Visiting rights were a key part of the agreement under which Libya allowed Megrahi and his co-accused, Al-Amin Khalifah Fhimah, to stand trial.
The spokesman added: "There is no conflict with the Home Office at the moment and we are pursuing this application normally."
Megrahi's 18-year-old student daughter has a different visa from the tourist visa issued to the rest of the family and she has been allowed to stay in Scotland.
Megrahi's wife, Aisha, and the couple's five children moved to Newton Mearns, a plush suburb on the outskirts of Glasgow, in June 2002 and they are supported by a charity connected to the Libyan government.
His lawyers had argued that forcing the family to return to Libya to reapply for their visa contravened the UN-brokered agreement which specified that "normal" family visiting rights should be offered to the two accused.
A spokesman for the Home Office said they could not discuss individual cases.
Megrahi is currently challenging his conviction and is awaiting a response from the European court of human rights following a submission made in September.
Under Home Office rules, the family of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi have to return to their home country in order to reapply for leave to stay in the UK. Megrahi's lawyers have complained that this is unfair as it denies him family visits.
His wife and four of the couple's five children left their home on the outskirts of Glasgow yesterday and will apply for permission to return to the UK from Libya.
Megrahi, a senior official with the Libyan secret service, the JSO, was convicted of the murder of the 270 people who died in the Lockerbie bombing following a year-long trial at the specially established Scottish court in the Netherlands.
A spokesman for his Scottish solicitor, Eddie MacKechnie, confirmed that the family had left for Libya. Visiting rights were a key part of the agreement under which Libya allowed Megrahi and his co-accused, Al-Amin Khalifah Fhimah, to stand trial.
The spokesman added: "There is no conflict with the Home Office at the moment and we are pursuing this application normally."
Megrahi's 18-year-old student daughter has a different visa from the tourist visa issued to the rest of the family and she has been allowed to stay in Scotland.
Megrahi's wife, Aisha, and the couple's five children moved to Newton Mearns, a plush suburb on the outskirts of Glasgow, in June 2002 and they are supported by a charity connected to the Libyan government.
His lawyers had argued that forcing the family to return to Libya to reapply for their visa contravened the UN-brokered agreement which specified that "normal" family visiting rights should be offered to the two accused.
A spokesman for the Home Office said they could not discuss individual cases.
Megrahi is currently challenging his conviction and is awaiting a response from the European court of human rights following a submission made in September.
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