Beyond the 806
Judge postpones US trial for Libyan man charged in 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 - AP News
A federal judge in Washington postponed the U.S.
Jury selection had been set to begin Wednesday. The delay came after the discovery of new evidence in what is already a nearly 40-year-old case, and defense attorneys requested time to review it before proceedings moved forward.
Al-Marimi's trial was expected to be the first held on U.S. Soil for the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing, which brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The case has stretched across decades and multiple legal jurisdictions, making it one of the longest-running terrorism prosecutions in modern history.
For the families of the 270 people killed in the attack, the postponement means another delay in what has already been a decades-long wait for a full American courtroom reckoning. No new trial date was announced.
The bombing remains one of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever carried out against a U.S. Aircraft, killing 189 Americans among the 270 victims.
Common questions
Why was the Pan Am Flight 103 trial postponed?
- A federal judge postponed the trial after new evidence surfaced that defense attorneys need time to review. Jury selection had been set to begin Wednesday before the delay was granted in the nearly 40-year-old case.
Who is on trial for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing?
- Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a former Libyan intelligence official, is charged in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which went down over Lockerbie, Scotland. His trial would be the first held on U.S. soil for the attack.
What was Pan Am Flight 103 and why does this trial matter?
- Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed on Dec. 21, 1988, killing all on board when it crashed over Lockerbie, Scotland. The U.S. trial of Al-Marimi would be the first on American soil, making it a landmark moment in one of the longest terrorism prosecutions in modern history.
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