Scottish police formally charged two Libyans yesterday with the 1988 bombing murder of the 259 passengers and crew of Pan Am Flight 103 and 11 people on the ground below in Lockerbie, Scotland.
Libya handed over Mr Abdel Basset al-Megrahi (47), and Mr al-Amin Khalifa Fahima (43), on Monday for trial before a Scottish court in the Netherlands after years of tortuous negotiations.
The two men made a five-minute appearance before Scottish regional judge Sheriff Principal Graham Cox to confirm their identities and access to defence lawyers. They made no plea or declaration, a court official said. The public hearing is unlikely to begin for another six months.
Meanwhile, Arab nations pressed the UN Security Council for a full and unequivocal lifting of sanctions against Libya after it announced their suspension following the hand-over of the suspects.
The Italian Foreign Minister, Mr Lamberto Dini, yesterday became the first foreign official to visit Libya following the suspension of the sanctions, while Egypt's national airline EgyptAir said it could resume flights to Tripoli as soon as today.