US will NOT seek death penalty against Lockerbie ‘bombmaker’ 

The man suspected of building the bomb that downed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988, killing 270 people, will not face the death penalty.

Abu Agila Mohammad Masud Kheir Al-Marimi appeared in a federal court in Washington on Monday.

He faces three charges, including two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death, and a further count of destruction of a vehicle resulting in death.

Each of the charges are punishable by a sentence of up to life imprisonment, the death penalty or a fine of up to $250,000.

But prosecutors told the court they would not pursue the death penalty because it was not constitutionally available at the time of the bombing.

The Lockerbie bombing killed 270 people on board the Pan Am flight 103 

Erik Kenerson, the federal prosecutor, told Judge Robin Meriweather his office would not pursue the death penalty, but said they Masud’s actions could never be forgiven. 

‘His actions killed all 259 passengers and crew on board the aircraft and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie,’ Kenerson said in court. 

‘Countless families have never fully recovered as a result of his actions and never will fully recover.’

A federal public defender represented Masud during the hearing, but asked for additional time for Masud to hire his own attorney. 

He did not enter a plea. 

‘I cannot talk until I see my attorney,’ said Masud, speaking through an interpreter.

Masud, who is being held without bail in a Virginia detention center, was given until December 19 to arrange for his own attorney to represent him. 

A detention hearing is scheduled for December 27.