Megrahi

Megrahi is a surname of North African origin. It is most famously associated with Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. Al-Megrahi was the only person convicted in connection with the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people. He was found guilty in 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, he was released on compassionate grounds in 2009 due to terminal cancer and returned to Libya. His death in 2012 further complicated the ongoing questions surrounding the bombing.

The surname Megrahi can also be found among individuals in Libya and other parts of North Africa. As with many surnames, its exact etymology and historical diffusion are subject to genealogical and linguistic research. In the absence of specific context, the name Megrahi primarily evokes the figure of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi due to the international prominence of the Lockerbie bombing case. The circumstances of his conviction and release remain a subject of debate and historical interest.