Lockerbie bombing accused loses bid to have case thrown out
A U.S. judge has rejected a motion to dismiss the case against Abu Agila Mas'ud al-Marimi, a Libyan man accused of building the bomb used in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. The defense argued that his transfer to U.S. custody was an illegal rendition, but the court ruled the trial can proceed.
Why it matters
The ruling reaffirms the legal precedent that a defendant's forceful abduction does not necessarily invalidate a criminal trial in the United States.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi has been in custody since December 2022
Scotland home affairs correspondent Published 1 hour ago A Libyan man accused of building the bomb that brought down an American airliner over Lockerbie more than 24 years ago has lost his bid to have the case thrown out of court.
Abu Agila Mas'ud al-Marimi had claimed he was the victim of an illegal rendition when he was transferred into US custody from Libya in 2022.
A US district court judge has ruled that the manner of his removal should not prevent his trial going ahead in Washington in January.
Marimi has denied playing a key role in the attack on Pan Am 103, which killed 270 people on 21 December 1988.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Hundreds of people died when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie in December 1988
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