Lockerbie bombing accused loses bid to have case thrown out
Summary
A Libyan man, Abu Agila Mas'ud al-Marimi, accused of building the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988, has lost a request to dismiss his case in a US court. The judge ruled that his transfer to US custody, claimed to be an illegal abduction, does not stop the trial from going ahead in January 2024.Key Facts
- Abu Agila Mas'ud al-Marimi is accused of making the bomb that exploded on Pan Am Flight 103, killing 270 people in 1988.
- He was taken from Libya to US custody in 2022, which he called an illegal rendition (forceful transfer).
- Marimi asked a US judge to throw out the case, arguing his rights were violated and extradition rules broken.
- The judge said US courts can still hold trials even if a suspect was captured by force.
- Two exceptions could stop a trial: if the US government directly broke constitutional rights, or broke extradition agreements.
- The judge decided the US did not directly control the capture and used recognized legal conventions to bring Marimi to the US.
- The trial is set to start on January 19, 2024, after previous delays.
- The judge also rejected a request to exclude Marimi's alleged confession made in Libya in 2012.
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