Mandela in jail meeting with Lockerbie bomber

Nelson Mandela will hold talks today with Abdelbaset Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Libyan serving a life sentence in Scotland for the Lockerbie bombing.

The former South African president, who helped broker Megrahi's trial held in the Netherlands under Scottish law, is said to have reservations about the conviction. He intends to check conditions at Barlinnie jail in Glasgow and discuss with Megrahi moves to clear his name.

Megrahi was found guilty of murder last year for smuggling a bomb on to Pan Am flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, killing 270 people. His lawyers are trying to have the case returned to the appeal court through the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.

A spokeswoman for Mr Mandela said he had been "closely involved in the case and wants to see how the prisoner is doing".