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US trial of Libyan suspect in 1988 Lockerbie bombing postponed due to new evidence

A Washington, D.C., federal judge delayed the trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi until January after new evidence emerged days before jury selection was scheduled to begin.

Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 23:18 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • A U.S. federal judge postponed the trial of former Libyan intelligence official Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi after new government evidence surfaced.
  • Jury selection was originally set to begin on Wednesday, but a new trial date has been scheduled for January.
  • Al-Marimi is accused of constructing the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing 270 people.
  • Defense lawyers requested the delay to investigate the newly disclosed material, marking the third postponement of the trial.

Key facts

  • U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich postponed the trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi in Washington, D.C., setting aside a jury selection date scheduled for Wednesday.[Associated Press · BBC News]
  • Defense attorneys requested the delay after receiving newly discovered evidence from the U.S. government on August 21.[BBC News]
  • The trial, which is expected to begin in January, represents the first U.S. trial related to the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.[Associated Press · BBC News]
  • The bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 killed 259 people on board and 11 on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland.[Associated Press · BBC News]
  • Al-Marimi denies building the bomb and has been in U.S. custody since 2022.[BBC News]
  • The prosecution's case relies significantly on a 2012 confession made in a Libyan detention facility, which Al-Marimi claims was obtained under duress but Judge Friedrich ruled admissible.[BBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The specific nature and contents of the newly discovered U.S. government evidence were not detailed in the judge's order or made public.[Associated Press · BBC News]

Sources