London: The family of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, hopes that he can defeat cancer, which created a compassionate ground for his early release from a Scottish prison six months ago.
Al-Megrahi was the only man convicted in December 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 blast over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 people on the ground.
The 57-year-old Libyan, who was sentenced to life in 2001, was released from jail last August after doctors said he had only three months to live. Megrahi is battling a serious prostate cancer.
His elderly father, Ali, who keeps a vigil at his son’s side at the family’s home in Tripoli, said he was hoping for a "miracle" to happen.
"A close relative was diagnosed with a similar disease and he was treated and recovered completely. We hope that Adbelbaset recovers his health as well," he was quoted as saying.
"I think that the sick are not just cured by medicine, but also having a high morale and a sense of freedom, and these were not available to Abdelbaset in prison."
He also said that his son was working on his autobiography and remains determined to prove that he had nothing to do with the Lockerbie bombing of 22 years ago, the
Sunday Telegraph reported.
Earlier reports said Megrahi was living in a luxury villa six months after he was released from jail on compassionate grounds and he no longer receives treatment after ending the course of chemotherapy that he had been given after returning to his homeland last August.
Prof Karol Sikora, the London-based doctor who examined Megrahi and predicted he would be dead by last October, admitted recently that the fact the bomber is still alive might be "difficult" for the families of the 270 victims of the attack.
It was reported last September that the Libyan government had paid for the medical evidence which it hoped would enable Megrahi to be released. The Libyans had encouraged doctors to say he had only three months to live.
Megrahi’s release came after Libyan leaders warned that lucrative oil and trade deals with Britain would be cancelled if the bomber died in jail.
Prof Sikora told The Sunday Telegraph last weekend: "My information from Tripoli is that it’s not going to be long (before Megrahi dies).”
"They stopped any active treatment in December and he has just been going downhill very slowly at home. He is on high doses of morphine (a painkiller) and it's any day now."
Prof Sikora said that he suspected that Megrahi was still alive because he had received a "psychological" boost from returning to his homeland and being reunited with his family.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 28, 2010, 16:17