Lockerbie bombing suspect makes first court appearance in DC federal court - CNN

Washington CNN  — 

A Libyan antheral accused of being progressive successful making the weaponry that destroyed Pan Am formation 103 over the municipality of Lockerbie successful Scotland successful December 1988 made an archetypal tribunal quality Monday successful a national tribunal successful Washington, DC, wherever helium was formally charged successful transportation with the violent attack.

Though Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi was informed by US Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather of the 3 transgression counts he’s been charged with by the authorities and work his rights, helium did not participate a plea, citing the request to clasp counsel earlier proceeding successful the case.

The tribunal scheduled a pre-trial detention proceeding connected December 27 to springiness Mas’ud clip to clasp counsel.

The charges brought against Mas’ud see “destruction of craft resulting successful death,” which carries with it the decease penalty, beingness successful situation and a good of up to $250,000, oregon a operation of the situation word and the fine. Federal prosecutors said they bash not program to prosecute the decease punishment successful the lawsuit due to the fact that the punishment was not constitutionally disposable the twelvemonth the transgression was committed.

Mas’ud, with a achromatic beard and dressed successful a agelong situation jumpsuit, walked slowly, astir limping, to the defence array earlier putting successful his headphones to perceive an interpreter. He spoke precise little, but did archer the justice helium “took immoderate medicine and I person immoderate flu,” the interpreter said.

“Today’s enactment is different important measurement successful delivering justness for the victims of the senseless violent onslaught connected Pan Am Flight 103,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said successful a connection connected Monday. “Let this beryllium a reminder that the men and women of the Department of Justice volition ne'er hide the nonaccomplishment of guiltless lives oregon waver successful our committedness to holding terrorists accountable – nary substance however agelong it takes.”

Stephanie Bernstein, whose hubby was killed successful the attack, told reporters extracurricular the courthouse pursuing the proceeding that it’s “fitting that we are coming up connected the 34th day of the bombing and that we, astatine last, person the antheral liable for making the bomb.”

Bernstein’s husband, Michael Stuart Bernstein, was the adjunct lawman manager of the DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Office of Special Investigations, which was charged with prosecuting Nazis.

“It’s a tremendous magnitude of satisfaction,” she said of being astatine the tribunal for Mas’ud’s archetypal appearance. “He is the archetypal idiosyncratic liable for the decease of my hubby to really beryllium tried connected US soil.”

Bill Hennessy

Authorities successful the US and Scotland announced Sunday that Mas’ud was successful US custody. The US charged Mas’ud for his alleged engagement successful the bombing 2 years ago, a spokesperson for the UK Crown Office and Prosecutor Fiscal Service antecedently told CNN.

Mas’ud had been successful custody successful Libya for unrelated crimes erstwhile helium was charged by the Justice Department 2 years ago.

The main ineligible serviceman of the Scottish authorities volition conscionable with US prosecutors successful Washington “next week” regarding the Lockerbie investigation, they said successful a connection Monday.

“I americium going to Washington, DC, adjacent week wherever I volition person meetings with US prosecutors and be commemorative events to people the day of the tragedy,” Scottish Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain said successful the statement. “Ongoing engagement present and successful the US betwixt instrumentality enforcement authorities, and with families who mislaid loved ones, is an important diagnostic of this case.”

The onslaught killed 270 radical arsenic the weaponry detonated implicit the Scottish municipality arsenic it flew from London to New York, and it remains the deadliest violent onslaught to person taken spot successful the United Kingdom.

Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi was accused on with Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah of placing explosives successful a portable cassette and vigor subordinate that was wrong a suitcase connected the plane. Megrahi was sentenced successful 2001 to 27 years successful prison, but was released from situation aft being diagnosed with cancer. He died successful 2012. Fhimah was acquitted.

This communicative has been updated with further developments.