The Libyan secret agent convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing must serve a minimum of 27 years before he can apply for parole, Scottish judges have ruled. Abdel-Basset al-Megrahi is serving a life sentence in a Scottish prison after being found guilty of murdering 270 people with a bomb which blew up a Pan Am airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie just before Christmas 15 years ago.
| Will they not be dead when his 27 years is up? |
Three judges from the original trial — which took place at a special court in the Netherlands — gave the minimum term ruling at the High Court in Glasgow. Al-Megrahi was originally sentenced to life in January 2001 with a recommendation that he should serve 20 years. But under human rights laws introduced in late 2001, criminals sentenced for life must be told exactly how many years they have to serve before they can apply for parole.
| I'm a purist. I think when you get "life" they should bury you in the prison yard after you die of old age. Otherwise, they should call it something else, like "27 years"... |
The court official said that the judges, Lords Sutherland, McLean and Coulsfield, said the prison term would be backdated to April 1999.
| Make that 27 years or less... |
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