Скачать или смотреть NETHERLANDS: LOCKERBIE COURT CASE ADJOURNED (2)

(7 Dec 1999) Keyword-crash

English/Nat

After further legal arguments, the Lockerbie court hearing in the Netherlands has been adjourned until Wednesday.

Lawyers for two Libyans charged with planting the bomb that downed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, have asked a Scottish court to reduce the charges against the men.

The two suspects made their first appearance in court since they were handed over in a deal Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi agreed to in April.

Prosecutors and defence attorneys arrived to this former U-S military camp in the Netherlands early on Tuesday morning for a pretrial session.

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi agreed to hand over the suspects on the condition that the trial take place on neutral territory.

A spokesman for the relatives of the 270 people who died when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded and rained down on the Scottish town of Lockerbie said they only wanted the truth of what happened to be uncovered.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It's the step on a journey that started the 21st of December 1988. It's another step on a very long journey. They want truth, they want justice. Nothing more, nothing less. Today we'll let the world see for the very first time the faces of the two men so far refused in public. Then next year there will be a trial. At that point the relatives and the world will be able to view the evidence, hear the arguments and take a decision."
SUPERCAPTION: David Ben Aryeh, Spokesman for Victim's Relatives

Relatives of the defendants also came to court on Tuesday, including the brother of Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed Al Megrahi, one of the suspects.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I have come here to support my brother. I know he is innocent and I am confident that justice will be done."
SUPER CAPTION: Mohamed al-Megrahi, Brother of Lockerbie Suspect

The two defendants, both allegedly former Libyan intelligence agents, are charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and other violations.

The Lockerbie bombing killed the plane's 259 occupants and 11 more people on the ground in the Scottish town.

Lord Ranald Sutherland, a Scottish high court justice, watched on as the defence and prosecution lawyers clashed in the court.

Suspects al-Megrahi, on the left, and Fhimah, with the moustache, watched the proceedings impassively.

Professor Andrew Fulton, who attended the pretrial session, said the defence lawyers asked for the charges against the accused to be changed.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"This has been a fascinating day. A mixture of competing legal arguments. The defence have done their best to get the conspiracy charge struck out but the prosecution hit back and the judge has adjourned the hearing until tomorrow when he will try to come to a decision."
SUPER CAPTION: Professor Andrew Fulton, Legal Expert

The F-B-I are also attending the trial.

The defence team is disputing accusations that the two suspects are Libyan intelligence agents.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...