In brief
Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah, who was found not guilty of involvement in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, died in Tripoli at age 70. The 70‑year‑old had been acquitted in a Scottish court in the Netherlands, while fellow Libyan Abdulbasset Al Megrahi was convicted. New allegations resurfaced that he may have helped plan the attack, prompting discussions of a possible second trial under the Double Jeopardy (Scotland) Act. The case remains shrouded in controversy despite the recent death of the former suspect.
Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah, 70, has died in Tripoli after having been cleared in 2001 of accusations linked to the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
Fhimah, a Libyan who claimed a role in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, was found not guilty at the Scottish court in the Netherlands, while fellow Libyan Abdulbasset Al Megrahi was convicted.
His death follows new allegations that he may have participated in the bombing, based on a confession by another Libyan named Al-Marimi.
In the United States and Scotland prosecutors have discussed a possible second trial under the Double Jeopardy (Scotland) Act, but political and legal hurdles remain.
Fhimah’s homecoming was celebrated by former dictator Muammar Gaddafi before his exile.
- The bombing killed 270 people.
- Months after the trial the UK and US had indicted Fhimah.
- He was acquitted in 2001.
- Recent evidence might reopen the case.
