Libyan cleared in Lockerbie bombing trial dies aged 70


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.


Fhimah (center) escorted by security officers before a hearing in 1992