Wikipedia:Editor review/Robert Forrester

{{subst:Editor-review|1=I am a committee member of 'Justice for Megrahi'. I have been attempting to register a page on the organisation with Wikipedia for in excess of one month now and only ever receive a 'Server Error' page in response. What assistance can you offer me in order to get this page up and running?|User=Robert Forrester|q1=I have not yet made any.|q2=No.

JUSTICE FOR MEGRAHI {{sup|Superscript text}}

Justice for Megrahi (JFM) is a single issue justice campaign group comprising the committee and the signatories. It maintains that on the basis of the evidence laid by the Crown before the three judges of the High Court of Justiciary at Kamp van Zeist (Netherlands), the 2001 conviction of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie (Scotland) was a miscarriage of justice. Although the central plank of JFM’s position is concerned with the contention that no reasonable court could have convicted on the basis of the evidence as presented to the court, it also acknowledges other factors beyond this relating to, amongst other things, the fact that whilst the Crown was aware of evidence of value to the defence case before the trial, this evidence did not become public knowledge until after the verdict had been passed. JFM exists to address issues surrounding the investigation of the destruction of the aircraft and the subsequent trial of Mr al-Megrahi and Mr Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah. Its main objective is to campaign to have Mr al-Megrahi’s conviction quashed.

History

Justice for Megrahi (JFM) was founded in November of 2008 following the judicial hearing which set out the arrangements for Mr al-Megrahi’s second appeal. The appeal had been referred back to the Court of Appeal on a total of six grounds (largely concerned with the quality of evidence provided by the Crown’s star witness at Kamp van Zeist, Maltese shopkeeper Mr Tony Gauci) by Scotland’s expert and independent legal authority which has responsibility for referring cases to the Court of Appeal: the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC). The initial aim of JFM was to campaign, by means of a public petition to be submitted to Scottish Government ministers, for the compassionate release of Mr al-Megrahi in light of his terminal medical condition. The founding committee members felt that the Crown in its decision to break Mr al-Megrahi’s appeal into sections to be spaced out over a considerable period of months was not giving due regard to the prisoner’s medical state, and that in prolonging the appeal thus, the appellant could well succumb to his illness before the appeal concluded, with the possible result that no judgement might be produced.

Following a private meeting between the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Mr Kenny MacAskill, and Mr al-Megrahi in HM Prison Greenock in August of 2009, Mr al-Megrahi dropped his second appeal and became the beneficiary of compassionate release, which brought about his repatriation to Libya. JFM takes no credit for having had any influence over the decision to avail Mr al-Megrahi of the provision, under Scots Law, of compassionate release. In September of 2009, following the prisoner’s release, JFM began its campaign to have the 2001 verdict overturned by means of a comprehensive public inquiry or other judicial means into the Lockerbie case covering:

•	The Fatal Accident Inquiry into the downing of Pan Am 103.

•	The police investigation of the tragedy.

•	The subsequent Kamp van Zeist trial.

•	The acquittal of Mr Fhimah and conviction of Mr Al-Megrahi.

•	The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission's (SCCRC) referral of Mr Al-Megrahi's case to the Court of Appeal.

•	The dropping of this second appeal and the compassionate release of Mr Al-Megrahi.

JFM additionally contends that the reputation of Scotland’s justice system has suffered a severe blow because of the Zeist verdict and that only through testing the validity of the verdict can this reputation be redeemed.

In support of JFM’s call for a full and open public inquiry, the group has lobbied the following bodies and individuals:


 * The President of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation
 * All missions with a seat at the General Assembly of the UN
 * The African Union
 * The League of Arab States
 * The Non-Aligned Movement
 * The President of Egypt
 * The Government of Libya
 * The Government of Malta
 * The Government of Cuba
 * The Government of Nicaragua
 * The Government of Venezuela
 * The Senate of the United States of America
 * The Government of Scotland

With the exception of the Maltese and Scottish Governments, none of the above has responded to JFM’s advances.

In September of 2010, JFM made representations to the First Minister of Scotland Mr Alex Salmond in the hope that the Scottish Government would establish an inquiry into the affair under the auspices of the Scottish Government citing the following reasons:

•	The event occurred over and on Scottish territory.

•	The case was investigated by a Scottish police force.

•	The trial was conducted under Scots Law.

•	Mr Al-Megrahi was convicted under Scots Law.

•	Mr Al-Megrahi was imprisoned in a Scottish gaol.

•	The SCCRC referred the second appeal to the Scottish Court of Appeal.

•	Mr Al-Megrahi was given compassionate release by the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

In declining JFM’s submission, a Scottish Government spokesman stated the following as justification for the decision not to endorse the campaign’s request that Edinburgh set up an inquiry into the Lockerbie case:

''“The Scottish Government do not doubt the safety of the conviction of al-Megrahi. Nevertheless, there remain concerns to some on the wider issues of the Lockerbie atrocity. The questions to be asked and answered in any such inquiry would be beyond the jurisdiction of Scots Law and the remit of the Scottish Government, and such an inquiry would, therefore, need to be initiated by those with the required power and authority to deal with an issue, international in its nature.”''

JFM continues to maintain that more than adequate evidence required to establish that there was a miscarriage of justice at Kamp van Zeist falls well within the jurisdiction of Scotland. Amongst other things, JFM points to all documents and testimony pertaining to the investigation, the trial and the referral of Mr al-Megrahi’s conviction back to the Court of Appeal, on no fewer than six grounds, by the SCCRC. Moreover JFM asserts that in accordance with “current UK legislation as expressed by the Inquiries Act 2005 (c12), which indicates, in sections 1, 27 and 32, that the Scottish Government possesses more than adequate powers to open an inquiry into the Lockerbie case under its own auspices.” (see: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/12/contents)

It is JFM’s intention to maintain its strategy of lobbying governments, judicial bodies, international groups and individuals to realise its aims irrespective of whether Mr al-Megrahi is alive or dead.

Structure

Justice for Megrahi comprises the committee, made up of the remaining founding members, and the signatories who endorse the JFM campaign.

The current (August 2010) committee members:

Professor Robert Black QC, Mr Robert Forrester, Father Pat Keegans, Mr Iain McKie and Doctor Jim Swire.

The current (August 2010) signatories:

Ms Kate Adie (Former Chief News Correspondent for BBC News), Mr John Ashton (Co- author of: ‘Cover Up of Convenience’), Mr David Benson (Actor/author of the play ‘Lockerbie: Unfinished Business'), Mrs Jean Berkley (Mother of Alistair Berkley: victim of Pan Am 103), Mr Peter Biddulph (Lockerbie tragedy researcher), Professor Robert Black QC (‘Architect’ of the Kamp van Zeist Trial), Professor Noam Chomsky (Human rights, social and political commentator), Mr Tam Dalyell (UK MP: 1962-2005. Father of the House: 2001-2005), Mr Ian Ferguson (Co- author of: ‘Cover Up of Convenience’), Mr Robert Forrester (Justice for Megrahi Committee), Ms Christine Grahame MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament), Mr Ian Hislop (Editor of ‘Private Eye’), Fr Pat Keegans (Lockerbie parish priest on 21st December 1988), Ms A L Kennedy (Author), Mr Andrew Killgore (Former US Ambassador to Qatar), Mr Adam Larson (Editor and proprietor of ‘The Lockerbie Divide’), Mr Iain McKie (Retired Superintendent of Police), Ms Heather Mills (Reporter for ‘Private Eye’), Mr Charles Norrie (Brother of Tony Norrie: victim of UT 772), Mr Denis Phipps (Aviation security expert), Mr John Pilger (Campaigning human rights journalist), Mr Steven Raeburn (Editor of ‘The Firm'), Mr James Robertson (Author), Dr Jim Swire (Father of Flora Swire: victim of Pan Am 103), Sir Teddy Taylor (UK MP: 1964-2005. Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland) and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel Peace Prize Winner).

Whilst JFM has no formal constitution, the following general rules apply:

•	JFM operates on the basis of mutual trust between the committee and the signatories that everyone who is party to the campaign will act in furtherance of its principal aims.

•	All committee members are signatories.

•	The signatories are free to adopt as active or passive a role as they wish.

•	The committee takes ultimate responsibility for all material reaching the public domain.

•	The committee will consult and keep the signatories fully informed of all JFM activities at all times.

•	Anything published in the name of JFM is not authorised without prior approval by the committee and its signatories.

•	JFM does not sanction having its name associated in conjunction with any policy which seeks retribution for any shortcomings in either the investigation into the destruction of Pan Am flight 103 or the Kamp van Zeist trial. Furthermore, JFM does not indulge in speculation that seeks to attribute blame for the destruction of the aircraft. JFM accepts that individual campaign members may have their own opinions and may wish to express them in public, JFM does not recognise this as being incompatible with the policy of the campaign insofar as it is clear that such views represent the individual’s position and not that of JFM.

•	Additions to the list of signatories are normally made via invitation.

'''Statement issued on his return to Tripoli by Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi following his compassionate release from HM Prison Greenock. '''

“I am obviously very relieved to be leaving my prison cell at last and returning to Libya, my homeland.

I would like to first of all take the opportunity to extend my gratitude to the many people of Scotland, and elsewhere, who have sent me their good wishes. I bear no ill will to the people of Scotland; indeed, it is one of my regrets that I have been unable to experience any meaningful aspect of Scottish life, or to see your country. To the staff in HM Prison Greenock, and before that at HM Prison Barlinnie, I wish to express thanks for the kindness that they were able to show me. For those who assisted in my medical and nursing care; who tried to make my time here as comfortable as possible, I am of course grateful. My legal team has worked tirelessly on my behalf; I wish to thank Advocates Margaret Scott QC, Jamie Gilchrist QC, Shelagh McCall and Martin Richardson together with the team at Taylor & Kelly, for all of their gallant efforts in my bid to clear my name. I know they share, in no small measure, my disappointment about the abandonment of my appeal.

Many people, including the relatives of those who died in, and over, Lockerbie, are, I know, upset that my appeal has come to an end; that nothing more can be done about the circumstances surrounding the Lockerbie bombing. I share their frustration. I had most to gain and nothing to lose about the whole truth coming out - until my diagnosis of cancer. To those victims' relatives who can bear to hear me say this: they continue to have my sincere sympathy for the unimaginable loss that they have suffered. To those who bear me ill will, I do not return that to you.

And, lastly, I must turn to my conviction and imprisonment.

To be incarcerated in a far off land, completely alien to my way of life and culture has been not only been a shock but also a most profound dislocation for me personally and for my whole family. I have had many burdens to overcome during my incarceration. I had to sit through a trial which I had been persuaded to attend on the basis that it would have been scrupulously fair. In my second, most recent, appeal I disputed such a description. I had to endure a verdict being issued at the conclusion of that trial which is now characterised by my lawyers, and the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, as unreasonable. To me, and to other right thinking people back at home in Libya, and in the international community, it is nothing short of a disgrace. As a result of my surrender, and that judgement of the Court, I had to spend over 10 years in prison.

I cannot find words in my language or yours that give proper expression to the desolation I have felt. This horrible ordeal is not ended by my return to Libya. It may never end for me until I die. Perhaps the only liberation for me will be death. And I say in the clearest possible terms, which I hope every person in every land will hear: all of this I have had to endure for something that I did not do. The remaining days of my life are being lived under the shadow of the wrongness of my conviction.

I have been faced with an appalling choice: to risk dying in prison in the hope that my name is cleared posthumously or to return home still carrying the weight of the guilty verdict, which will never now be lifted. The choice which I made is a matter of sorrow, disappointment and anger, which I fear I will never overcome.

I say goodbye to Scotland and shall not return. My time here has been very unhappy and I do not leave a piece of myself. But to the country's people I offer my gratitude and best wishes.”

Some useful links:

http://justiceformegrahi.com/ http://i-p-o.org/lockerbie_observer_mission.htm http://www.megrahimystory.net/ http://lockerbiecase.blogspot.com/ http://lockerbiedivide.blogspot.com/