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Scotland said on Monday it had no plans to request the extradition of the Libyan convicted of the 1988 bombing of a US-bound airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie.

Abdel Basset al-Megrahi was found guilty of bombing Pan Am flight 103 while en route from London to New York on Dec 21, 1988.

A total of 270 people were killed in the bombing.

Megrahi was sentenced to life imprisonment in Scotland, but released two years ago on compassionate grounds and returned to Libya because he was suffering from advanced terminal prostate cancer and thought to have just a few months to live.

His release infuriated some politicians in the United States - home to many of the bombing victims - and the fall of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi prompted hopes among some that Libya's new leaders could allow Megrahi's extradition.

However, Libya's National Transitional Council said on Sunday it had no intention of agreeing to any such request, and Scotland has no plans to make one.

"At the present moment the only people with any authority in this matter are the Scottish government ... and the new Libyan Transitional Council," Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond told Sky News.

"We have never had, and do not have, any intention of asking for the extradition of Mr Megrahi," he added.

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said he would like to see Megrahi back in jail. Prime Minister David Cameron, who took office in May 2010, has called the release a mistake.

However, Scotland has responsibility for its own legal system.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.