Trial of former Libyan intelligence official for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 begins in January

Details of the trial and its postponement

Federal Judge Dabney Friedrich, who is overseeing the case, has announced that jury selection will begin on January 19 in Washington, D.C. The trial, which was originally scheduled to start on August 26 of this year, was postponed due to the need for further examination of new evidence. Judge Friedrich has stated that before setting a new trial date, she wants to ensure the availability of potential jurors.

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Details of the bombing case and charges

Pan Am Flight 103 was attacked on December 21, 1988, while flying at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9.45 kilometers) over Lockerbie, Scotland. A bomb located in the front cargo hold of the aircraft exploded 38 minutes after takeoff from Heathrow Airport in London, killing all 259 passengers and crew members and 11 people on the ground. Abu Aqila Muhammad Masoud Khair Al-Mirimi is accused of making the bomb, and it is alleged that he and others carried out the bombing on the orders of Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader who was overthrown and killed during the civil war in 2011.

Khair Al-Mirimi is now in his mid-70s and faces two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Laura Koenig, one of Khair Al-Mirimi's attorneys, stated that his defense will require questioning new witnesses and presenting additional expert evidence in response to the new evidence.

This trial is expected to last about two months and is considered one of the most significant criminal cases in U.S. history.

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Source: abcnews.com