Lockerbie to Libya

I've been intrigued by the press commentary and the fringe political commentary over the future of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi. There are those who have demanded that he be released into the care of his native nation to serve out his remaining sentence - on compassionate grounds if nothing else. Libya has made an application to repatriate Mr Megrahi under the prisoner transfer agreement made in November last year, and some have sought self-publicity by calling for that request to be granted.

They're missing a point, really, there won't be any transfer unless Megrahi agrees. At present he is pursuing an appeal in an attempt to clear his name - there won't be a prisoner transfer until the legal proceedings are done with. Compassionate transfer? Same thing. As things stand, Mr Megrahi is a prisoner convicted of 270 counts of murder in a Scottish court and he has the right to appeal. Perhaps he should be offered the dignity of being allowed to get on with his appeal rather than being the subject of ill-informed speculation?