The terminally ill Libyan man convicted of the Lockerbie jetliner bombing and recently released from prison has taken a sharp turn for the worse in the past day, his brother and doctors told Reuters.
Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, "has deteriorated rapidly since yesterday. He is unable to speak to anyone," his brother Abdenasser Megrahi told Reuters Saturday at the Tripoli Medical Centre.
Abdel al-Megrahi is being treated in a special ward at the facility, his brother said.
"His situation is worrying. His temperature is at 39.5 degrees (103.1 Fahrenheit)," he told Reuters.
Megrahi's doctors confirmed his brother's assessment but wouldn't elaborate on his condition, saying they're awaiting lab test results.
A Reuters reporter who was due to interview Megrahi said he wasn't able to.
"He cannot speak to me because of the apparent sudden deterioration of his health," said Ali Shuaib.
Last month Megrahi was released from prison in Scotland, where he was serving a life sentence, because of his declining health — sparking international outrage.
He was convicted of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 270 on board.
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