The FBI has identified over 400 people worldwide affected by the Lockerbie bombing, aiming to connect them with remote access to the upcoming US trial of alleged Libyan bombmaker Abu Agila Masud.
Masud, accused of assembling the device that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, faces trial in Washington, DC, next May.
The bombing, which took the lives of 270 people—259 on board and 11 on the ground—remains one of the most devastating terrorist attacks in UK history.
While Scotland convicted another Libyan, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, in 2001 for his role, Masud’s trial marks a renewed focus on Libya’s alleged involvement in the bombing. Masud, reportedly taken into US custody in 2022, could face life imprisonment if convicted.
In preparation for the trial, the FBI has surveyed 417 people impacted by the bombing. This group includes more than 100 individuals from Scotland, among them many residents of Lockerbie who experienced the tragedy directly.
Respondents from the US, UK, and seven other countries have requested remote video access to follow the proceedings, given that many are too elderly to travel.
The US government supports using a controlled “Zoom for Government” platform to broadcast the trial, highlighting the significant logistical challenges of other options.
Both the FBI and the US Department of Justice recognise the profound trauma carried by those affected, emphasising that the proposed remote access is a vital means to include them in the pursuit of justice.
