Federal Judge Postpones U.S. Trial for Libyan Man Accused in 1988 Lockerbie Bombing Due to New Evidence
A federal judge has postponed the U.S. trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a former Libyan intelligence official charged in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The postponement, announced on Monday, stems from the discovery of new evidence that defense attorneys require time to examine. Al-Marimi, now in his mid-70s, is accused of constructing the bomb that led to the aircraft's destruction, killing 270 people, predominantly Americans. Jury selection for his federal trial in Washington, D.C., was initially scheduled to commence on Wednesday. This trial marks the first in the U.S. for the December 21, 1988, bombing. Prosecutors allege that Al-Marimi served as an explosives expert for the Libyan intelligence service from approximately 1973 to 2011 and was involved in transporting the bomb to an airport in Malta, from where it was eventually loaded onto Flight 103. The bombing is believed to have been orchestrated under the direction of then-Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. 
