Lockerbie Bombing Trial Scheduling Factor in Ramadan for Witness Testimony

Plans for the long-awaited trial of alleged Lockerbie bomb maker Abu Agila Mohammad Masud Al Marimi have taken Ramadan, forecast to start on February 7, into consideration. All 259 people on board Pan Am Flight 103 died in the 1988 terrorist attack for which Mr Al Marimi is accused. Eleven individuals were killed on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland, by falling debris from the explosion, which occurred shortly after the flight took off from London on December 21. Of the 270 total victims, 190 were US citizens.

The US government filed charges against Mr Al Marimi in 2020 and subsequently arrested him in 2022. He entered a not guilty plea in 2023. Various factors, including the suspect's health problems, defence team changes, long pre-trial deliberations, and the introduction of several pieces of new evidence, have delayed the trial proceedings.

Washington District Judge Dabney Friedrich recently established a goal to begin jury selection for the trial in January 2027. According to a recently filed joint status update, the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan could impact the trial schedule. "The parties have noted that Ramadan is likely to begin February 7, 2027," the status update notes. "Several of the government witnesses observe Ramadan. If witness testimony begins on or about January 19, that will allow three weeks for the government to present any witnesses where Ramadan might affect their availability."

Another recently filed document from US federal prosecutors highlights one of the key witnesses the government intends to call against Mr Al Marimi. The filings indicate that the government expects to call Alison Pargeter, an expert in Libyan history and author of Libya: The Rise and Fall of Qaddafi, though arguments persist over what specific testimony will be presented to a jury.

In August, proposed jury instructions reviewed by The National revealed mutual concerns from both the prosecution and defence regarding online prediction and betting markets potentially influencing the case. The trial is expected to feature approximately 150 pieces of crash evidence, international witness accounts, and extensive documentation such as passports, hotel records, receipts, telegrams, baggage tags, and letters originating from Libya, the UK, the US, Malta, and Czechoslovakia.

Public interest in the case has also been amplified by the release of a six-part Netflix series titled The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which details the events and investigation leading up to the tragedy and recently secured a spot among Netflix’s top 10 TV shows in the US.