The strange case of Muḥammad ʿAlî al-Maqraḥî, is shrouded in mystery.

Politicians are not usually known for acting out of "principle", especially when the action is sure to set off a furore and be against the opinion of the electorate!

The UK govt were anxious that Magrahi be released through the trumped-up prisoner exchange deal, one of Mr Blairs more devious ploys.

As there was no love lost between Mr Salmonds devolved govt in Scotland, and the UK administration, the Scottish govt in my opinion engaged in a bit of political "sleight of hand", damaging the UK's deal with Gadaffi by refusing their covert appeals to release their prisoner under the exchange scheme, yet showing their independence by releasing him on their own "compassionate grounds"

Just a simple piece of political oneupmanship.....with unfortunate consequences!


Regarding your main point, people like Myra Hindley have been kept in jail by successive UK govts, because the public, rightly or wrongly, would not accept release....politicians are interested first and foremost in their own survival!

As I said on another thread, although I am against the death penalty in principle....some crimes, like the rape and murder of small children are so unnatural and heinous that removal from the species seems the only reasonable course to take.

nothing is purely black or white.