The wounds of Lockerbie looked as raw as ever yesterday as the Libyan leader, Col Muammar Gadafy, declared innocent the Libyan agent convicted of the airliner bombing, and welcomed home with an embrace his acquitted co-accused.
Libya and other Arab countries demanded that sanctions against Tripoli be lifted following the end of the trial in the Netherlands, but the US and Britain insisted Libya had not yet earned a full pardon.
Col Gadafy personally welcomed home to Tripoli Mr AlAmin Khalifa Fahima, the acquitted co-accused of Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday for the 1988 attack on Pan-Am Flight 103 and the murders of 270 people.
"I have proven evidence that he [Megrahi] is innocent and I'll reveal the evidence on Monday", Col Gadafy told reporters at his official residence.
Suspicious that blame for the bombing lies at the heart of Col Gadafy's state, US and British leaders said Libya still must accept responsibility for Lockerbie and pay compensation before sanctions can be fully ended.
The Libyan leader said the verdict at the end of the ninemonth trial had been "influenced by the US government, by pressures from the US government".
"The sanctions must be lifted immediately or we'll be in a situation of racist aggression", he said.
Asked about compensation for the Lockerbie victims, Col Gadafy referred to the Libyan victims of the bombings by US warplanes of Tripoli and Benghazi in February 1986, launched to avenge a bomb attack on a Berlin discotheque used by US soldiers.
"We must not forget the victims of the 1986 massacre. What do courts have to say about these victims? What do the United Nations and America have to say about them? Are these victims human beings or cattle?" Col Gadafy said.
A daughter of Col Gadafy was killed in the air strikes. Receiving Mr Fahima, Col Gadafy hugged him several times and asked him about his morale.
"It's good, thank God," the freed man replied before being led to a white Korean-made car, a gift from Col Gadafy.
Libyan officials had earlier denied that Megrahi had acted on the orders of the Libyan state, without calling him innocent. Their demand for the full lifting of sanctions was echoed by the 22-member-state Arab League.