Trial of Libyan accused of Lockerbie bombing delayed again

Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi has been in custody since December 2022

The trial of a Libyan accused of building the bomb that destroyed an American airliner over Lockerbie has been delayed for a second time.

The case against Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir al-Marimi, known as Mas'ud, was due to get under way in Washington in May but was postponed to 20 April next year.

In July his lawyers requested a further delay, saying they needed more time to consider all the evidence from the 37-year-old case.

Mas'ud has denied constructing and priming the bomb which brought down Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988.

The Lockerbie bombing killed 270 people in December 1988

All 259 passengers and crew were killed, along with 11 residents of Lockerbie who died when wreckage from the plane fell on their homes.

Prosecutors from the US Department of Justice argued against a second postponement, but the trial judge has set aside the April start date.

It is understood the legal teams are now exploring whether the trial can get under way in the summer.

A small group of public defenders are representing Mas'ud, who has been in US custody since 2022.

They said they have to review 356GB of data with 413,000 separate files, including expert evidence on DNA, finger and palm prints, explosives, facial recognition and handwriting analysis.

The defence team said they also have to consider "voluminous documents in multiple foreign languages, thousands of pages of prior-trial transcripts, and documentation of a sprawling 37-year investigation".

In a submission to the court, they added: "Mr Al-Marimi is anxious for his trial to begin, but understands the challenges that his current attorneys face."

In response, prosecutors argued a further delay would be "an extraordinary step that could be justified only by extraordinary circumstances which are not present here".

They said many potential witnesses are in their 80s and could become unavailable to testify "due to death or infirmity".

Further delays could "irreparably damage" the prospects of a full and fair determination of the facts, they said.

The Department of Justice team also pointed out that many relatives of the victims are advancing in age and have already "suffered for decades".

BBC News understands that the availability of witnesses next July or August will determine when the case finally gets under way.

The Libyan had originally been due to stand trial in May this year.

However, it was postponed following a joint request from the prosecution and defence due to the complexity of the case and Mas'ud's ill health.