Lockerbie appeal to begin

The appeal is at the Scottish Court at Camp Zeist

Five senior Scottish judges will begin hearing the appeal on Wednesday of the man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

It is expected the appeal, to be heard in the Scottish Court at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands, will last up to six weeks.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was found guilty of bombing Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie and killing 270 people, after a nine-month trial at Camp Zeist.

He was jailed for life on 31 January 2001, with a recommendation from the judges that he serve at least 20 years.

Al Megrahi is appealing his conviction

His co-accused, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, was acquitted.

Al Megrahi lodged an appeal against his conviction in June 2001. As yet, it is not know on what grounds his appeal will be made.

Under Scots legal procedure the appellant need not reveal this in advance of the case.

But BBC Scotland home affairs correspondent Reevel Alderson says it is likely to focus on the possibility of new evidence.

There have been claims from a Heathrow Airport worker, who said he told police of a break-in to Pan Am's baggage store the night before the bombing.

The correspondent says: "If this were to be allowed as new evidence that was not available to the original trial, its significance would be that Megrahi's lawyers could cast doubt on the prosecution claim that the suitcase containing the bomb was put onto the New York flight from Malta Airport where both Megrahi and Fhima had worked."

During the appeal, Megrahi's legal team will present legal arguments aimed at convincing the five appeal judges, headed by Scotland's most senior judge, Lord Cullen, that Megrahi was wrongly accused.

It will either see Al Megrahi acquitted or transferred to a prison in Scotland to complete his sentence.

Starting at 0900GMT BBC News Online will provide live video coverage of the appeal.