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Lockerbie bombing suspect claims unlawful removal from Libya in US court filing
Overview
Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a suspect in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, has asked a Washington DC judge to throw out his case, alleging he was illegally abducted by armed men in Libya and handed over to FBI agents in December 2022. Al-Marimi denies building the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103, which killed 270 people. The US Department of Justice contends that the manner of his removal does not prevent his upcoming trial from proceeding in January.
Key points
- Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi's legal team has filed court papers alleging he was abducted from Libya in a clandestine operation.
- Al-Marimi denies building and priming the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, killing 270 people.
- Defence lawyers claim he was seized by a militia in October 2021, held in solitary confinement, and handed over hooded to the FBI in December 2022.
- The defence argues the process was an unlawful rendition and wants the Washington court case thrown out.
- The US Department of Justice maintains that a defendant's manner of removal does not negate the court's jurisdiction and that his trial should proceed in January.