The freed Lockerbie bomber tonight arrived in Libya to a “hero’s welcome” after being released from prison on compassionate grounds.
Pictures from Tripoli showed hundreds of people — some waving Scottish flags — greeting Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi as he got off the plane.
A crowd also gathered in the city’s Green Square to apparently celebrate his release.
Tonight Pamela Dix, whose brother Peter died along with 269 others when the Pan Am jet exploded above Lockerbie in 1988, condemned the celebrations.
“I think a hero’s welcome is entirely inappropriate in the circumstances,” she said
“I know the man maintains his innocence but I think discretion would have been the right thing in these circumstances. But that was probably too much to expect.
The 57-year-old was released by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who said Megrahi “now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power”.
But the move caused anger on both sides of the Atlantic, with the family of one victim describing his release as “disgusting” and Mr Obama urging the Libyans to make sure he remains under house arrest once he is home.
Mr Obama said: “We have been in contact with the Scottish Government indicating that we object to this. We thought it was a mistake.”
He added that Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, should not be “welcomed” back — a plea which appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.
Tonight, the Scottish Parliament was recalled and MSPs will get the chance to quiz Mr MacAskill on his decision on Monday.
Megrahi, who has always claimed he is innocent, served just seven years, five months and four days of his sentence. He was informed of his release at 1pm as Mr MacAskill told the world.
Two hours later, he boarded the Airbus A300 still clutching his release papers as he climbed the steps.
Dressed in a white tracksuit and wearing what appeared to be a Nike baseball cap with a scarf masking his face, he was able to walk with only the aid of a stick.
He boarded alone and was met by a camera crew thought to be filming Megrahi’s return for Libyan television.
Libyan government officials and medical staff were also onboard.
In a statement issued by his lawyers, Megrahi said: “I am obviously very relieved to be leaving my prison cell at last and returning to Libya, my homeland.”
Mr MacAskill considered two applications — one for Megrahi to be moved from Greenock prison to Libya under a prisoner transfer agreement, and a separate application for him to be released early on compassionate grounds.
Megrahi dropped his appeal against conviction on Tuesday.
Mr MacAskill made the announcement at the Scottish Government’s ministerial headquarters in Edinburgh.
After his release was announced, Megrahi was driven to Glasgow Airport from HMP Greenock in a white van escorted by three police cars, another van and five motorcycles.
An angry crowd booed and jeered as he was driven out of the jail.
At the airport, he was taken straight on to the tarmac. The plane took off at 3.26pm.
The Libyan government had played down claims he would return to Tripoli a hero.
He will be required to live permanently at a given address in Libya, must agree any change of address and must not travel from Libya without consent, the Scottish Government said.
PA