Where is Jim Swire now? Whereabouts of Lockerbie: A Search for Truth subject, explored

Dr. Jim Swire's journey through the Lockerbie bombing tragedy is being dramatized in the Sky Atlantic and Peacock original series Lockerbie: A Search for Truth. It will premiere on January 2, 2025, with five episodes and features Colin Firth as Swire, driven to fight for justice. The official synopsis reads:

"December 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie 38 minutes after taking off, killing 259 people on board, as well as 11 Lockerbie residents. After his daughter Flora was killed, Dr. Jim Swire becomes a spokesman for victims' families in the UK and launches a continent-crossing quest challenging his understanding of justice and deeply transforming his perception of the world."

Jim Swire, now 88, lives with his wife Jane in the Cotswolds, England. The Peacock original series is based on The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father's Search for Justice, a memoir written by Swire himself and Peter Biddulph.

---

Jim Swire's fight for justice over three decades

Jim Swire, a family doctor in Bromsgrove, England, experienced a turn-around in his life due to the Lockerbie bombing. As quoted from his memoir, he was married to Jane Swire and has three children, namely Flora, Catherine, and William.

The death of his daughter Flora on Pan Am Flight 103 made Jim become the voice of other victims' families, as reported by BBC News. Swire had major concerns about the conviction of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Libyan national convicted in court of ordering the bombing.

Jim, according to Scottish court documents, supported the convicted individual al-Megrahi, believing that evidence against him was insufficient. He majorly focused on other theories, laying blame on Iranian-backed Palestinian groups, particularly the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). Academic papers by terrorism expert Robert Baer also refer to such other theories.

---

Jim Swire's beliefs about the Lockerbie Bombing

Jim Swire believes that Iran was behind the Lockerbie bombing as a retaliatory action for the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by a US warship. As stated in The Telegraph interview, he cited that the bomb was constructed by an agent from Jordan linked to the PFLP-GC.

While welcoming the 2022 arrest of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a Libyan national accused of making the bomb, Swire has expressed reservations about the trial taking place in the United States. He told BBC News that he feared the US could act as "complainant, prosecutor, and judge." Mas'ud's trial is scheduled to begin in May 2025, as per The Guardian.

---

Life beyond activism: Swire's personal life

Despite his activism, Jim Swire remains very concerned about his family. The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father's Search for Justice reveals that he lives with his wife, Jane, in Chipping Campden. Both of them enjoy gardening, traveling, and spending weekends at their vacation home on the Isle of Skye.

However, Swire's activism took a toll on his relationship with his daughter Catherine. According to The Times in April 2024, Catherine confessed to being "silenced" by his activism. On the other hand, Jim is close to his grandchildren and claims they bring him much happiness.

---

It can be seen how Jim Swire is committed to the cause by pursuing justice through his persistent struggle. In a set of press materials from Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, the series reveals the intricacy of the path he followed - from challenging official narratives to asking for openness and transparency.

At 88, he continues demanding responsibility so that those victims are not forgotten, starting with his daughter Flora.