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The leading Scottish lawyer who represented the British victims of the Lockerbie disaster, the UK’s deadliest terror attack, has called on the Trump administration to release files held by specialist agencies in the US related to the tragedy.
In a letter to Matthew Palmer, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy to the UK, Professor Peter Watson, who served as the secretary of the Lockerbie Disaster Group which was a collective of legal representatives advocating for the British victims, has asked for the classified intelligence documents to finally be released.
On December 21 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 which was travelling from London to New York exploded over the village of Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway, killing 259 passengers and crew members and 11 residents on the ground.
Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer is currently the only man to be convicted of the atrocity. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2001, but in 2009 he was released on compassionate grounds after a terminal cancer diagnosis, and died in 2012.
Abu Agila Masud, a Tunisian-born Libyan citizen, who is alleged to have helped make the bomb, is due to go on trial in the US in May this year.
Despite the far-reaching implications of the Lockerbie disaster, no public inquiry has been conducted which is normally a standard response for major tragedies in the UK. Families of the victims have persistently called for transparency to address lingering questions about government accountability, aviation security failures, and the full truth behind the attack.
The request comes after President Donald Trump has called for the release of classified intelligence and law enforcement files relating to the assassinations of President John F Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr, as well as information regarding the September 11 terrorist attacks, the origins of Covid-19, Jeffrey Epstein’s “client list”, and more.
Professor Watson said: “Nearly four decades later, as new trials and investigations continue, the pursuit of truth and justice for the victims and their families endures. The families of the victims are entitled to know as much as possible about what happened on the night of the bombing, and we know there are documents held by the US and UK intelligence services that fill the vacuum of understanding that remains today.
“We have seen a move from the President Trump to declassify a number of federal secrets, and we believe Lockerbie should be next. The families have waited far too long. They deserve transparency, truth and answers.”
In his letter to Matthew Palmer, Professor Watson said: “I am aware that under the new administration, President Trump has agreed to review classified files and assess whether certain information should, in specific instances, be declassified and made publicly available.
“Given its historical and legal implications, there is a continued pursuit of clarity and a comprehensive understanding of the events leading up to and surrounding this tragic incident.
“In this regard, I would like to inquire whether consideration is being given to reviewing and potentially releasing files held by specialist agencies in the United States related to the Lockerbie tragedy. Such a step could provide invaluable insight to those directly affected by this disaster, as well as to the wider legal and academic communities seeking to fully comprehend the circumstances that led to this act of terrorism.”
Professor Watson will be speaking at Nova Southeastern University in Florida on Monday 17 February on the topic of the Lockerbie tragedy, which remains a matter of substantial public interest in both the UK and US.
Professor Watson is also currently President of the British Academy of Forensic Sciences.
This story has appeared in STV, The Herald, The Independent, the Daily Record, the Evening Standard, Sky News and more.
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