Al-Qaddafi promises to disclose an evidence of al-Miqrahi innocence
Libya, Politics, 2/2/2001

Libya stressed on Thursday that the sentence voiced by the Scottish court concerning the Lockerbie issue on Wednesday was a " political and not a legal sentence."

It added Libya has " facts" it will disclose on Monday giving the evidence on the innocence of Abdul Baset al-Miqrahi who was sentenced by the Scottish court to life imprisonment. Libya also called for improving the relations with both the US and Britain on the ground of mutual respect, stressed it will not be subjected to blackmail.

Libya also remarked the possibility of paying compensations to the families of the 270 victims of the Pan Am plane which was blown off over Lockerbie in 1988.

Meantime, the second accused person in the Lockerbie issue who was found not guilty by the court Elamine Khaleifa Faheima arrived back in Tripoli. He was welcomed in a reception but without festivities in a step of which Libya intended to stress his position as an ordinary citizen and to express its sympathy with al-Miqrahi.

Simultaneously Britain renewed its request to Libya to recognize its responsibility as a state for the attack and to compensate for its victims.

The Arab League and China, on the other hand, called for immediate lifting of the sanctions imposed on Libya.

President al-Qaddafi who received Faheima upon his arrival in Tripoli said that he has " evidences prove that al-Miqrahi is innocent." The Libyan President stressed that the sentence released by the Scottish court is " political and not legal," noting " I have the fact on the verdict and I will disclose them on Monday."

Al-Qaddafi stressed that pressures were made by the US and Britain on the judges which released the sentence. He added that the judges had three choices: " to say the truth, or to resign or to commit suicide."

On the possibility of paying compensation for the families of the victims, the Libyan President recalled the Libyan victims as a result of the US raids against Tripoli and Benghazi in February 1986. He questioned: " those victims should not be forgotten and whether those people ( the Libyans killed in the raids) were human beings or mere sheep ?."

Previous Stories:
  Libyan official: libya ready to have relations with USA, on basis of mutual respect   (1/16/2001)
  King Mohammed pays official visit to Libya   (1/15/2001)
  Arab League Secretary General Visits Libya Tuesday   (1/8/2001)

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