Libyans in New York seeking guarantee for fair trial in Lockerbie case

A team of Libyan legal experts headed for New York to hold meetings at the UN concerning the legal guarantees claimed by Tripoli before handing over two Libyan citizens who are suspected of being involved in the Lockerbie case to be tried in the Netherlands.

The Libyan news agency, JANA, said the Libyan team will hold talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan concerning necessary security and legal arrangements and guarantees for trying the two Libyan suspects in the Netherlands. The agency added that the team will tell the UN chief that if the two men are found guilty their "penalty will not be performed either in the US or in Britain."

On August 24, the governments of the US and Britain approved a proposal providing for trying the two Libyans in a neutral country, the Netherlands, but under preconditions that the two Libyans will be presented before a Scottish court and should be tried according to the Scottish law.