A Libyan man accused of building the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland has had his trial postponed due to new evidence emerging. The trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi was set to begin on Monday, but US District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich pushed it back after his defense team requested time to investigate the new evidence. No specific details about the nature of this evidence are given in the article. The new trial date is reportedly set for January, more than 20 months after Al-Marimi was originally due to stand trial.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a Libyan man, is accused of making the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988, killing all 259 passengers and crew on board and another 11 people on the ground. His trial was postponed for a third time due to new evidence that emerged, requiring further investigation on "constitutional and ethical" grounds. The new date for the trial is set for January. Al-Marimi denies involvement in the bombing and his defense team requested more time to prepare their case. The U.S. Justice Department sought his extradition from Libya after charging him with connection to the bombing in December 2020. Family members of the victims had hoped to confront Al-Marimi during jury selection, but instead they will have to wait for another trial date to see justice served.
Written for “Lockerbie Bombing Trial Postponed” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 2175 · logged 2026-08-27
New evidence caused the trial of a Libyan man charged with building the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, to be postponed for a third time in Federal Court in Washington.
asserted
that → cause → Washington
U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Columbia Dabney Friedrich postponed the trial of Lybian Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi Monday, a day before jury selection was set to begin, after his defense team said new evidence had emerged that required investigation on "constitutional and ethical" grounds.
asserted
that → postpone → grounds
The BBC said it had information that a new date for the trial has been set for January, more than 20 months after Al-Marimi was originally due to stand trial.
asserted
Marimi → say → trial
The first postponement was due to ill health and then a second start date in April was pushed back after his lawyers requested more time to prepare their defense.
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lawyers → push → defense
Al-Marimi denies involvement in the December 1988 bombing of the London to New York flight which killed all 259 passengers and crew on board, most of them Americans, and another 11 people on the ground.
asserted
most → deny → ground
THe U.S. Justice Department sought his extradition from Libya after charging him in connection with the bombing in December 2020, taking him into custody two years later in December 2022.
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Department → seek → December
U.S. prosecutors allege Al-Marimi and others were ordered to carry out the attack by the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
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Marimi → allege → leader
If Al-Marimi is convicted, he will be only the second person to face justice over the attack after Lybian intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted of planting the bomb in 2001 but was freed after eight years due to a terminal cancer diagnosis and died in 2012 still protesting his innocence.
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Megrahi → convict → innocence
Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah, a station manager for Libyan Airlines, was prosecuted alongside al-Megrahi but was acquitted.
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Fhimah → prosecute → Megrahi
