CAIRO: The Arab League welcomed the release on Thursday of a terminally-ill Libyan convicted over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, the official MENA news agency reported.

“The Arab League welcomes the Scottish court decision to release (Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet) Al-Megrahi, taking into consideration his serious health condition, Assistant Secretary General Ahdmed Bin Hilli was quoted as saying.

He said the decision came after lengthy Libyan diplomatic efforts.

Bin Hilli voiced hope that the release “would constitute a new page in the Lockerbie crisis and that Libya would receive compensation for its suffering during the years of ongoing sanctions as a result of this crisis.

In 2003, Libya agreed to pay $2.7 billion in compensation to Lockerbie relatives, paving the way for a thawing of relations with the West.

Megrahi, the only person ever convicted over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people, arrived home on Thursday night after being freed on compassionate grounds. -AFP