70‑Year‑Old Libyan Accused in Lockerbie Bombing Dies After Acquittal

Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah, a Libyan national who faced charges over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, died at the age of 70. Fhimah was acquitted by a Scottish court in 2001 after a highly publicized trial that also saw the conviction of fellow Libyan Abdulbasset Al Megrahi.

The charges against Fhimah and Megrahi were announced by Scotland and the United States in 1991, and Libya’s United Nations sanctions led to their handover to a Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands. While Megrahi received a life sentence, the court found Fhimah not guilty.

Fhimah’s death was confirmed by Libyan Airlines through a Facebook post, which offered condolences to his family. A funeral service is scheduled for Wednesday in Tripoli, Libya’s capital.

The case has remained a point of contention, with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation revealing a new alleged confession in 2022 from a third Libyan involved in the bomb plot. Though Fhimah had previously denied any involvement, the emergence of new evidence keeps the story in public debate regarding potential future prosecutions.