An open letter to the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation
(September 2009)
“Justice must prevail beyond all other considerations.
Beyond politics, convictions, religion, even compassion (and certainly
expedience), regardless of one's sympathies, JUSTICE must be the banner that
unites us. This is more than pity for a dying man, this is a demand for
justice.” (Danton de Vouvray)
In light of the abandonment of Abdelbaset
Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi’s second appeal against conviction for the bombing of Pan
American flight 103 over Lockerbie with the loss of 270 people, both passengers
and citizens of Lockerbie, on the twenty-first of December nineteen
eighty-eight, we, the undersigned, hereby formally submit that the General
Assembly of the United Nations Organisation institute a full public inquiry,
under the provisions of Article 22 of its Charter, into:
• the
investigation of the destruction of the aircraft,
• the Fatal Accident
Inquiry into the event conducted in 1991,
• the subsequent trial of
Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifa Fhimah at Camp van Zeist,
• both of Mr al-Megrahi’s appeals and the circumstances surrounding the
dropping of his second appeal.
We believe that a United Nations public
inquiry into the above should call witnesses who have been both directly and
indirectly involved to give testimony and account for their actions, decisions
and opinions relating to these events. Amongst others, such an inquiry ought
ideally to draw on individuals from:
• Dumfries and Galloway Police and
other UK police forces involved in the investigation,
• the security
services and other governmental agencies of nations involved either at first
hand or tangentially in the investigation,
• members of the legislatures of
nations involved either at first hand or tangentially in the investigation,
• the Scottish Judiciary,
• the Scottish Criminal Cases Review
Commission,
• legal counsel involved in the Zeist trial and subsequent
appeals, to the extent permitted by legal professional privilege,
•
witnesses from the original Zeist trial list, both those who testified and those
who were on the list but not called to testify,
• forensic scientists
involved in the investigation (particularly from the Royal Armament Research and
Development Establishment, UK),
• and informed experts whose independent
research has led them to develop alternative theories concerning the destruction
of the aircraft.
Whilst we are aware that, under the terms of Article 22
of the Charter, a United Nations General Assembly inquiry does not possess
within its gift the power to subpoena witnesses to testify, we nevertheless feel
that such an initiative could make a valuable and highly significant
contribution towards removing many of the deep misgivings which persist in
lingering over this tragedy.
Now that Mr al-Megrahi has dropped his second
appeal and been repatriated to Libya to spend what time is left to him with his
family, one of the last best hopes that existed to establish the facts of this
disputed and sorry event once and for all has evaporated. Whether or not he is
guilty, the alleged abuse of Maltese sovereignty by foreign investigators
employing illegal wire-taps, the question mark over the reputation of Luqa
airport, the break-in to Heathrow airside shortly prior to Pan Am 103’s fateful
departure, in addition to allegations of:
• tampering with material
evidence,
• financial and other inducements in order to secure desired
testimony,
• harassment of potential witnesses to dissuade them from coming
forward at the Zeist trial,
• the with-holding of evidence from the defence
counsel at Zeist,
• political obfuscation and serious economies with the
truth
have dogged this affair from the very outset and cast considerable
doubt over the safety of the Zeist verdict. We now appeal to the General
Assembly of the United Nations, which we consider to be an eminently suitable
platform under the circumstances given the international nature of events, to
take the appropriate steps to set the record straight.
Although we are
also fully cognisant that further investigation of this tragic occurrence over
twenty years ago will yet again bring pain to the victims’ families and friends,
we are confident that they too will wish to see matters concluded beyond
reasonable doubt. We do this in the hope of restoring the stature of justice
following what has been described as being: ‘a spectacular miscarriage of
justice’ (Professor Hans Köchler, International Observer appointed by the United
Nations for the trial at Camp van Zeist). Our faith in justice ultimately
prevailing now lies in the hands of the United Nations.
Signed:
Ms Kate Adie
(BBC journalist)
Mr John Ashton
(Co-author of ‘Cover-up of Convenience: The Hidden Scandal
of Lockerbie’).
Mrs Jean Berkley
(Co-ordinator UK Families Flight
103 and mother of Alistair Berkley: PA103 victim).
Professor Robert
Black QC
(Commonly referred to as the Architect of the Camp van Zeist
Trial).
Professor Noam Chomsky
(Professor Emeritus of Linguistics,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Mr Tam Dalyell
(Member of
Parliament: 1962 – 2005, Father of the House: 2001 – 2005).
Mr Ian
Ferguson
(Co-author of ‘Cover-up of Convenience: The Hidden Scandal of
Lockerbie’).
Mr Robert Forrester
(Justice for Megrahi Campaign
committee member).
Mr Ian Hislop
(Editor of Private Eye: one of the
UK’s most highly regarded journals of political comment).
Father Pat
Keegans
(Lockerbie Parish Priest at the time of the bombing of Pan Am 103).
Mr Iain McKie
(Retired Police Superintendent and justice
campaigner).
Heather Mills
(Reporter for Private Eye specialising in
matters relating to Pan Am flight 103).
Denis Phipps
(Aviation
security expert).
John Pilger
(Investigative journalist)
Mr Steven Raeburn
(Editor of The Firm, one of Scotland’s foremost legal journals).
Doctor Jim Swire
(Justice campaigner. Dr Swire’s daughter, Flora,
was killed in the Pan Am 103 incident).
Mr Abdullah Swissy
(Former
President of the Libyan Students’ Union in Scotland and Libyan Student Affairs
of the Libyan Students’ Union, UK Branch).
Sir Teddy Taylor
(Former
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Member of Parliament from 1964 to
2005).
Mr Bob Watts
(Businessman and Justice for Megrahi committee
member).
His Grace, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu
(Defender
of human rights worldwide, Nobel Peace Prize winner, headed South Africa’s Truth
and Reconciliation Commission and is Chairman of the Global Elders).