The trial of Libyan suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Kheir Al-Marimi, accused of constructing the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, was postponed just days before jury selection was set to begin in Washington DC [1, 2, 3].
Federal Judge Dabney Friedrich ordered the postponement on August 24 after the defense received "newly discovered evidence" on or around August 21, or over the weekend before August 24, depending on sources [1, 3]. Al-Marimi’s lawyers said, "Constitutional and ethical obligations require the defence to investigate this development" [1].
Al-Marimi, in U.S. custody since 2022, denies involvement in the bombing that killed 270 people, including 190 Americans and 43 British nationals, when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded shortly after departing London Heathrow on December 21, 1988 [1, 2, 3]. This attack remains the deadliest terror attack in British history and has been under joint Scottish-U.S. investigation since the incident [1, 2].
Previously, a Libyan named Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted for the bombing and died in 2012. Al-Marimi’s trial is the first related U.S. criminal case for the attack [2, 3].
The new evidence prompted the postponement just days before jury selection was expected to start, and no new trial start date is set. A court hearing to discuss the case status and next steps is scheduled for September 1, 2026 [2, 3].
Kara Weipz, board president of the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 nonprofit, said of the delay, "If that's what this is, then that's a good thing, and this delay is worth it... It's important to hear all the facts" [3].
