A deadline has been set for families of Lockerbie bombing victims to register for US trial
The trial is next May in Washington.
People affected by the Lockerbie Bombing are being urged to sign up for virtual access to the US trial of a Libyan suspect in May.
A deadline has been set by the U.S. Criminal Court and the FBI has set a deadline for October 9th to register.
All 259 people on board the Pan Am Flight 103 were killed when the jumbo jet was brought down over Lockerbie on December 21st, 1988, including 11 residents in the town.
Abu Agila Masud denies making the bomb and planting it.
Masud is to be provided remote access to the proceedings by the Criminal Court due to recent US legislation, for everyone who qualifies under the definition of ‘victim’.
Not only does the Court want to identify the total number of victims, but also their geographic locations.
This is to allow them to assess what type of remote access to grant: either to personal devices belonging to victims or specific trial-viewing sites around the globe.
The definition of a victim has been divided into two groups.
The first is for anyone who was “present at or near the scene in Lockerbie when the bombing occurred or immediately thereafter” and endured “direct or proximate harm (e.g. physical or emotional injury) as a result”.
The next one is for includes “the spouse, legal guardian, parent, child, brother, sister, next of kin or other relative of someone who was killed on Pan Am 103 or killed or harmed on the ground in Scotland or someone who possesses a relationship of a similar significance to someone who was killed or harmed in the attack”.
An FBI statement read, “We understand that this notice may be unexpected and raise questions for many who are connected to this tragedy. Please accept our apologies for any apprehensions caused by this sudden outreach, and rest assured that we have a team of dedicated individuals prepared to address any concerns you may have about this process.”
Emergency services, soldiers, and the local authority were involved in the night of the bombing and dealt with the aftermath.
The crime scene remains the largest in UK history with the debris field covering more than 845 square miles.
The 270 victims of the terrorist attack were from 21 different countries – 190 from America and 43 from the UK.
Just three miles east of Lockerbie, the nosecone of the plane has crashed into the field opposite the Tundergarth Church.
More than 104 bodies were also found in that area.
John Cummock was from Florida and his body was found inside the plane’s nosecone.
His widow, Victoria Cummock, is now a Trustee of Tundergarth Kirk Trust and also the CEO of the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie Legacy Foundation.
She says: “Many thousands of people qualify as living crime victims, like I do, and are entitled by US law to a range of support services during the trial, including mental health counselling, court trial access, and travel expense reimbursement.
“I appeal to everyone who qualifies to register to receive these benefits, regardless of whether they intend to access the court proceedings. This will probably be our last chance to be counted in demanding accountability and justice.
“I urge crime victims to use the FBI form to request virtual trial access via Zoom on our personal devices, which is the more humane, practical, and cost-efficient option. This allows aging victims, like me, to remain in their supportive home environments and younger victims to continue to meet their work and family obligations, without creating unnecessary, daily travel hardships during a trial that could last at least a year.”
Nearly 36 years following the bombing, thousands of people have come forward about suffering from some form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of the terrorist attack.
Police Scotland has been trying to reach out to groups of first responders who might want to register for the trial and access remotely.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said they were “continuing to support the US Department of Justice and the FBI in the prosecution of Abu Agila Masud”.
The FBI is pleading to anyone directly affected by the 1988 event to register here by 9th October 2024.