The effort to bring the suspects to justice
contained the following highlights.11/27/91
The British, US and French issue
a statement calling on Libyan to
surrender all the accused for trial.12/8/91
Libya says it will try the men itself.1/21/92
UN Security Council Resolution 731 orders
Libya to surrender the 2 suspects.3/23/92
Libya offers to hand them over to the Arab League.3/31/92
UN Security Council Resolution 748 gives Libya 15 days to
hand over the suspects or face a worldwide ban on air travel
and arms sales and the closure of Libyan Arab Airline offices.4/15/92
UN embargo takes effect.4/30/92
Libyan leader Col. Gaddafi says he will not
hand the men over but they are free to surrender.11/11/93
UN Security Council Resolution 883 repeats the
earlier demands and threatens more sanctions.12/1/93
Sanctions are imposed. They freeze Libyan assets in
foreign banks and embargo oil industry equipment.1/29/94
Libya still refuse to hand over the suspects.1/24/95
British MPs call for a new inquiry after the publication
of US intelligence service documents suggesting that
Iran and not Libya was behind the bombing.11/2/97
Libya says it does not object to Scottish law or Scottish judges,
but believes the suspects can not receive a fair trial in Britain.12/22/97
A UN report by 2 legal observers claims the Libyan
suspects would receive a fair trial in Scotland.2/28/98
The World Court rules that it has authority
to settle the Lockerbie legal dispute.3/21/98
In a UN Security Council debate China, Russia
are among members calling for the immediate lifting
of sanctions and a trial to be held in a neutral country.4/20/98
A spokesman for the Lockerbie victims, Jim Swire,
meets w/ Gaddafi who agrees to hand over 2 suspects
for trial by a Scottish judge in a neutral country.4/24/98
A group of Italians fly to Libya, in defiance
of the UN embargo on flights.7/2/98
The UN Security Council extends
sanctions for a further four months.7/9/98
President Mubarak of Egypt flies into Libya to
visit Colonel Gaddafi despite the UN embargo.22 July 1998
British PM Tony Blair joins the Dollar Bill
position on holding the trial in a 3rd country.8/24/98
Britain and the US agree that the suspects
should be tried in the Netherlands.
British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, calls on Libya to
honour its promise to hand the suspects over for trial.8/26/98
Libya gives unofficial confirmation that it will accept
the proposal but Ghaddafi, demands more negotiations
before agreeing to hand the men over.8/28/98
The UN Security Council unanimously
approves the Netherlands trial proposal.8/29/98
The Libyan leader claims British intelligence plotted to kill him,
and that those responsible must be brought to justice.9/2/98
A Sudanese delegation defies the UN flight ban to attend
the anniversary celebrations of Gaddafi's rise to power.
Meanwhile, the bombing suspects' lawyer, Dr Ibrahim Legwell,
says that if convicted, they should serve their time in Libya, not Scotland.9/5/98
Niger's President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara,
flies to Tripoli, ignoring the UN flight ban.9/11/98
Libya claims it will accept a
trial by a Scottish court in a 3rd country, but
seeks clarification of technical and legal details.9/16/98
Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo express
support for Libya's position but reject
Ghaddafi's request to ignore the UN air embargo.9/18/98
A former USAF base, 30 km outside
of Amsterdam, is chosen as the trial venue.9/20/98
Libya says it has reservations about the trial site.
The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Laurent Kabila, returns home after defying the UN ban on flights.9/30/98
Libya insists that any sentence must
be served in Libya or the Netherlands.
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni
ignores the UN flight ban.10/17/98
Britain insists that the Libyan suspects serve
their sentences in Scotland if found guilty.10/20/98
Gaddafi says he has proof that Britain tried to assassinate him.10/29/98
The UN 'Security' Council extends sanctions by 4 months.11/9/98
A team of Libyan lawyers visits the UN to
secure a deal to allow the suspects to serve
any sentences in Tripoli or the Netherlands.11/29/98
Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, flies to Libya for
talks with Gaddafi in violation of the UN air embargo.12/2/98
The British tell Libya that if convicted.
International observers will ensure that
the suspects are treated properly.