WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (IslamOnline) - Diplomats at the United Nations holding talks in New York Thursday are considering the removal of sanctions against Libya, according to BBC News.
The expected repeal of sanctions is said to take place after the trial of two Libyans accused of the Lockerbie bombing involving the downing of Pan American Flight 103, which has been adjourned until January 30th.
According to a British Foreign Office spokesman, representatives from the United States, as well as the U.K. and Libya, gathered on Tuesday to discuss the expected verdict date of the trial and to arrange for future meetings on the issue.
"We reiterated our view that Libya should comply with its obligations to the Security Council and our willingness to discuss those obligations in detail," spokesman Mark Matthews told BBC News Online.
The obligations mentioned include Libya bringing acts of "terrorism" to a complete halt and if convicted, the accused Libyans must be prepared to offer any necessary compensation to the victims.
U.N sanctions were placed on Libya in 1992 when the two suspects failed to be handed over to an international court, but were suspended in 1999 when Libyan leader Moamar Qadhafi led the men to surrender.
The two men went on trial at Camp Zeist in Holland on May 3rd of last year.
The trial has been adjourned until next Tuesday in order for judges to go over 84 days of evidence. They, however, will not deliver a verdict on that date, but rather will indicate a date of the announcement of their decision.
The trial itself lasted eight months, but was persistently held up by procedural problems.
Defense attorneys for the two Libyans, accused of the bombing in which 270 died, completed their closing arguments January 18th and pleaded with the three judges - Lord Sutherland, Lord Coulsfield and Lord Maclean to not charge their clients with a guilty verdict for the December 1988 event.
