Scottish Court Rejects Appeal Request of Lockerbie Bomber's Family

Abdelbasset al-Megrahi is seen in his room at a hospital in Tripoli in this September 9, 2009. (Reuters)
Abdelbasset al-Megrahi is seen in his room at a hospital in Tripoli in this September 9, 2009. (Reuters)
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Scottish Court Rejects Appeal Request of Lockerbie Bomber's Family

Abdelbasset al-Megrahi is seen in his room at a hospital in Tripoli in this September 9, 2009. (Reuters)
Abdelbasset al-Megrahi is seen in his room at a hospital in Tripoli in this September 9, 2009. (Reuters)

Scotland’s Supreme Court rejected the request of the defense of Abdelbasset al-Megrahi to refer his case to the UK's Supreme Court.

The case dates back to December 21, 1988, when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie en route from London to New York, killing 270 people.

Megrahi, an intelligence officer who died in 2012, was found guilty in the case and jailed for life in 2001.

Libyan academic, Mustafa Fetouri said in a press statement that the Court of Scotland had justified its rejection, saying the agent of Megrahi’s family has no legal entitlement to file the case before the UK’s top court.

Fetouri, a loyalist of the regime of the late President Moammar al-Gaddafi, dismissed the rejection as “illogical,” indicating that Megrahi’s agent filed the case before the Scottish court of appeals.

The defense team and Scottish legal experts confirm that the defense does not need the approval of the Scottish judiciary to go to the London court, he said, adding that the case file is being prepared.

Fetouri went on to say that the defense team needed the support of Libya’s new Government of National Unity (GNU), describing it as its “biggest national test”.

He urged the GNU to end the negligence of previous cabinets, accusing former head of the Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, of obstructing the case, which he described as a national Libyan cause.

Local media quoted Amer Anwar, the lawyer of Megrahi’s family, as saying he would act according to the client’s wishes, revealing it plans on proceeding with the case so that he can be declared innocent.

Ali, Megrahi’s son, announced that he instructed the legal team to appeal directly to the UK Supreme Court, which is the final court of appeal in his father’s case.

“I regard my father, Abdelbasset al-Megrahi, as the 271st victim of Lockerbie,” he remarked.



US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
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US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates in fresh action targeting the Iran-backed militant group.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned on Tuesday were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.

"The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

"These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes."

Among those targeted on Tuesday was Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, who the Treasury said manages a network of petroleum companies between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates and was one of the most prominent petroleum importers in Yemen.

Three companies in his network were also designated, with the Treasury saying they coordinated the delivery of approximately $12 million dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products with a US-designated company to the Houthis.

Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In January, Trump re-designated the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, aiming to impose harsher economic penalties in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against US warships defending the critical maritime area.

In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.