Libya, however, will not accept responsibility for the incident, despite the conviction of six Libyan officials tried in absentia by a French court in 1999. All compensation to the families of victims will be paid through the Gaddafi Foundation charity, and not through the state. The charity is run by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Negotiations on compensation delayed a vote on 10 September at the UN Security Council on the lifting of sanctions against Libya. France said that it would use its right to veto had the vote taken place (MEED 9:9:03).