The wife of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing is planning to take part in a silent vigil outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday aimed at highlighting alleged miscarriages of justice.

Aisha al Megrahi plans to join a group of aggrieved relatives on a silent walk down the Royal Mile to Holyrood, where organisers have asked to meet with Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, to present information about several different cases.

Relatives plan to carry photographs of those they believe have suffered a miscarriage of justice, including Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, who is serving a life sentence in Greenock prison with a minimum term of 27 years for the bombing of PanAm flight 103 in 1988, which led to the deaths of 270 people.

Megrahi, 56, is suffering from terminal prostate cancer which has spread to other parts of his body and may not have long to live.

Last month, the court of criminal appeal refused to grant him interim liberation before his appeal next year. The defence claims there is a "compelling case" for releasing him on bail, but the three judges turned down the request.

Mrs Megrahi, who has been living in Libya since 2005, has flown to Scotland to visit her husband in prison.

Although she has generally shied away from media attention, she recently criticised the way her husband has been treated.

She told a newspaper in Tripoli: "Hospitals in Scotland refused to take him because of the increased security involved in transferring him, especially the use of helicopters."

Megrahi, who has consistently denied any involvement in the bombing, said he was "very distressed" by the ruling and vowed that the fight to clear his name would continue after his death if necessary.

He lost an appeal in 2002, but was given a fresh chance to clear his name in June last year when the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission referred his case back to appeal judges for a second time on six different grounds. The fresh appeal is due to be heard next year.

The walk, which has been arranged by Guje Borjesson, who has been campaigning for justice over the death of her daughter Annie, is expected to involve hundreds of supporters.

Annie, 30, who had been working at the Scottish Whisky Heritage Centre on the Royal Mile, was found washed up on Prestwick beach in December 2004.

Police later said she had either taken her own life or died as the result of an accident, but her mother has refused to accept the findings and is pressing the authorities to re-open the case.

Corinne Mitchell will also take part in the Silent Walk for Justice, claiming her son Luke is innocent of the murder of schoolgirl Jodi Jones.

Luke Mitchell, now 20, was ordered to serve at least 20 years in jail after being found guilty in 2005 of killing his 14-year-old girlfriend. Her mutilated body was found near her home in Dalkeith in June, 2003.

Mitchell lost an appeal against his conviction in May this year, but he is due back in court this month to appeal against his sentence.

The family of Kevin McLeod, who drowned in Wick Harbour in 1997, will also be among the 100 families expected to join the vigil.

Marchers are expected to meet at Johnston Terrace before being led down the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament by a lone piper.

There, they will place pictures of their loved ones and light candles before holding a minute's silence.

Maria Jansson, Annie Borjesson's best friend and one of the organisers, said: "The important thing is that we are not judging anyone. Everyone is welcome. We expect hundreds to take part."

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