In brief
Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah, a Libyan citizen who faced trial over the 1988 Lockerbie air‑liner bombing, was found not guilty in 2001. The verdict stood in contrast to his compatriot Abdul Basset Al Megrahi, who was convicted and later freed on compassionate grounds. Fhimah’s death, announced by Libyan Airlines, brings an end to a once‑controversial chapter. He had been welcomed back to Tripoli in 1995 and is set for a funeral Wednesday. Ongoing investigations and new evidence may continue to echo the unresolved questions surrounding the tragedy.
Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah, a Libyan citizen who faced criminal proceedings after the 1988 Lockerbie air‑liner bombing, has passed away at the age of 70.
Fhimah was charged with the murder of 270 people on Pan American Flight 103 before a Scottish court found him not guilty. His case stood alongside the conviction of fellow Libyan Abdul Basset Al Megrahi, who was later released on compassionate grounds after a life sentence.
Fhimah’s death was confirmed by a Facebook post from Libyan Airlines, which offered condolences to his family. He had originally worked for the carrier in Malta before moving to Libya following the bombing.
The ex‑employee’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Tripoli, the capital. New evidence, uncovered by the FBI in 2022, has raised the possibility of a second trial, though the Double Jeopardy (Scotland) Act 2011 limits prosecutorial options.
For decades, the Lockerbie case has been a focal point of international scrutiny, with ongoing inquiries into the motives and design behind the tragedy.
