Libyan Confesses to Involvement in Notorious Lockerbie Bombing

US prosecutors have claimed a Libyan man freely confessed to taking part in attacks on Americans, including the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, when questioned in a Libyan detention facility in 2012.

Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir al-Marimi admitted his role in the murder of 270 people when Pan Am 103 was brought down over Scotland. However, Mas'ud, now 74, alleges that he was coerced into making this statement while being threatened by three masked men.

His legal team is currently fighting to prevent this statement from being presented as evidence at his upcoming trial in Washington. In contrast, US Department of Justice lawyers assert they can substantiate that the confession was “voluntary, reliable and accurate.”

The existence of Mas'ud’s alleged confession was not made public until 2020, when he was officially charged with engineering the bomb responsible for the Lockerbie tragedy. Since then, he has been in US custody, claiming that the confession was forced under duress amidst a backdrop of revolution against former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Mas'ud’s defense argues that his confession was obtained while in an unofficial prison where he faced threats to his and his family's safety. They emphasize that he was forcibly taken from his home by armed men, and that numerous other inmates were subjected to torture in similar circumstances.

The US prosecutors argue that their evidence shows his statements align with factual details gathered from independent investigations over the years. Mas'ud awaits trial in April, where the court will determine whether his confession will be admissible.