It is being suggested that Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi who was convicted of murdering 270 people in the Lockerbie bombing of 1988 should be released on 'compassionate' grounds. He has terminal prostate cancer apparently.
As atheists what is your take on this and the moral context?
Here is a link to the BBC story
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8198603.stm
Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
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AshtonBlack
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
Interesting. I hadn't really thought. I suppose it depends on if you think "life" should mean "life" when handing out prison sentence and should parole (and by extension, compassionate cases) never happen?
Personally I'd err on the side of compassion. I would release him.
Personally I'd err on the side of compassion. I would release him.
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Horwood Beer-Master
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
He shouldn't be released for the stated reason, but I understand there are many people who believe he should have been released some time ago due to an unsafe conviction.
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Pappa
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
21 years is pretty long to spend in prison too. 'Life' is usually only 14 years, minus time for good behaviour.
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
I hope more of what actually happened will come out in the appeal case ,We have never had the full truth about this .
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Pappa
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
He'll have to drop his appeal to apply for the transfer though, so I expect not.Feck wrote:I hope more of what actually happened will come out in the appeal case ,We have never had the full truth about this .
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
From what i heard on news this morning ,they are going to release him ,not transfer him ,and the appeal is set to go ahead ,even posthumouslyPappa wrote:He'll have to drop his appeal to apply for the transfer though, so I expect not.Feck wrote:I hope more of what actually happened will come out in the appeal case ,We have never had the full truth about this .
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owtth
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
If he did it then fuck him. However there seems to be a large degree of doubt, so I think it's better to err on the side of caution.
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Gawdzilla Sama
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
What was compassionate about killing 270 people, and affecting the lives of thousands more?
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Pappa
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
I think he'd be transferred to Libya under the new prisoner transfer treaty, after that they'd release him.Feck wrote:From what i heard on news this morning ,they are going to release him ,not transfer him ,and the appeal is set to go ahead ,even posthumouslyPappa wrote:He'll have to drop his appeal to apply for the transfer though, so I expect not.Feck wrote:I hope more of what actually happened will come out in the appeal case ,We have never had the full truth about this .
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
Works out he has spent 2weeks in prison for each death . But it wasn't just him ! (if it even was him) and the others and those who ordered it have not been punished . I was good friends with a guy from Lockerbie at uni ,He was one house away from dead ,And very fucked up by it ,Aberdeen is not a good place to be if you are scarred shitless by every plane or helicopter that goes overhead.Gawdzilla wrote:What was compassionate about killing 270 people, and affecting the lives of thousands more?
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
You're right there. The bombing was ordered far higher up the chain - al-Megrahi is a pawn - a scapegoat who probably sees himself as a martyr for taking the rap.Feck wrote:Works out he has spent 2weeks in prison for each death . But it wasn't just him ! (if it even was him) and the others and those who ordered it have not been punished . I was good friends with a guy from Lockerbie at uni ,He was one house away from dead ,And very fucked up by it ,Aberdeen is not a good place to be if you are scarred shitless by every plane or helicopter that goes overhead.Gawdzilla wrote:What was compassionate about killing 270 people, and affecting the lives of thousands more?
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lordpasternack
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
Some contest that his conviction has always been unsafe. There is some doubt over whether he is actually guilty. He's currently attempting to appeal...Gawdzilla wrote:What was compassionate about killing 270 people, and affecting the lives of thousands more?
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Rum
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
OK, but he was convicted in a Scottish court after due process and we don't really know until an appeal goes through if it is an unsafe conviction. The suggestion is that he will die before the appeal has time to go through its process.
Given the above should he be released?
Given the above should he be released?
Last edited by Rum on Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Clinton Huxley
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Re: Should the Lockerbie bomber be released?
I would lean towards releasing him. If he's only a few months left to live anyway, there doesn't seem any reason, other than revenge, for keeping him in until he dies. He is no longer a threat to the public.
As an added bonus, his release would no doubt infuriate the Daily Mail. Another good reason for doing it.
As an added bonus, his release would no doubt infuriate the Daily Mail. Another good reason for doing it.
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