Zawaya

The joy at the release of the Lockerbie bomber is a testimony to the country's backwardness

By: Salah Zeghidi

The release of Libyan terrorist who carried out the bombing of the Lockerbie plane, which killed more than 200 innocent civilians, has sparked many reactions that ranged from deep resentment to jubilant joy. While many circles have expressed their disapproval with the decision, which was made by the concerned authorities in Scotland, the released person was given a hero’s reception in Tripoli, and President Kadhafi himself was in his reception in person.

First, it is necessary to remember that the justice system in Scotland condemned the defendant then for the crime of bombing the plane and causing the killing of scores of passengers. It was through an open trial that the defendant and his defense team enjoyed all the guarantees required in a fair trial… The release today was for purely health-related reasons, considering that the defendant is suffering from terminal prostate cancer, and that he should, based on purely compassionate grounds, be able to spend the rest of his life among his family and friends.

It is extremely simple, then. Such decisions have been previously taken in other similar cases, and it was always for humanitarian motives. These motives are based on an essential principle, on which all the contemporary, modern and democratic lines of justice are founded, i.e. justice does not aim at exacting revenge from the convicted criminal, but is aimed at enforcing the punishment that he deserves. This was exactly what happened in this case.

As to the reactions that were recorded in Libya, they, in fact, provoke resentment rather than astonishment. The Libyan regime does not know the meaning of justice, or the meaning of separation of powers, or the distinction between politics and humanitarian considerations. The celebrations that were held in Libya, which were attended by President Kadhafi himself, have given rise to several problems, the biggest one of which is perhaps the wide gap between different cultures and systems of values among the countries that have democracy and modern systems on the one hand, and the countries that have backward and oppressive systems on the other hand.

An issue like the independence of the judiciary is of a paramount importance. The independence of the judiciary is not just a prerequisite to ensure the dissemination of justice and truth among the citizens and humans in general; it is also a main pillar for every democratic and rational culture. At the same time, it represents an essential element in the structure of democratic institutions and system.

When the public, headed by the great leader, celebrates the release of a criminal who was convicted by a Scottish court (not one of the courts that can be found here and there in our regions, which do not say the word of truth and justice, but just to say the word of the great leader) as if it was a victory for Libya and its people, it is an example of execrable backwardness, which is still the main obstacle in the way of the progress of our peoples and countries. This backwardness is boosted by several forces and currents that are immersed in the past and in darkness, which are in turn boosted by the behaviors of several circles that hold power and influence.