Mas'ud Al-Marimi: Lockerbie bombing suspect was handed over to FBI after being held captive for two weeks by warlord
NORTHWEST, WASHINGTON DC: On Monday, December 12, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a Libyan intelligence agent suspected of creating the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988 and killed 270 people, appeared in court in Washington, DC. Mas'ud was reportedly taken from his home by a warlord and imprisoned by a militia for two weeks before being handed over to the FBI prior to his court appearance.
Mas'ud, who served as Muammar Gaddafi's explosives specialist, is accused of three crimes, including two counts of causing the fatal destruction of an airplane and one count of causing the fatal destruction of a vehicle. Each offense carries a potential term of up to life in prison, the death penalty, or a maximum fine of $250,000. The death sentence, however, was not constitutionally permissible at the time of the bombing, the prosecution informed the court, therefore they would not seek it. The Guardian reported on Monday, December 12, 2022, that the accused was taken from his house in the capital's Abu Salem district by forces loyal to Abdel Ghani al-Kikili, also known as "Gheniwa". However, the United States has not commented on the circumstances surrounding his release. Gheniwa is in charge of the Government of National Unity's (GNU) Stability Support Authority (SSA), which is situated in Tripoli (GNU) in Libya.
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Mas'ud had been freed from prison six months earlier after serving a 10-year term for offenses committed while the Gaddafi regime was in power. He had since moved back into his home. He was taken hostage by armed men on November 16, 2022, from his home in Tripoli, according to local Libyan media.
A family statement claimed in the report that Tripoli officials had been silent regarding the kidnapping. Mas'ud's nephew claimed that after being detained by GNU defense ministry-affiliated personnel, his uncle was transported to Misrata, 120 miles from the capital. He was held by one of the militias in the port city of Misrata after his detention, according to the authorities.
Officials informed The Guardian that after Mas'ud's family made contact with those keeping him, they received assurances that he would soon return home safely. However, a "team of Americans" arrived in Misrata in less than a week, and Mas'ud was put on a private flight from the city's airport to Malta.
Abdulmenam Marimi, Mas'ud's nephew, told Reuters that the family first found out about his relocation to the United States after seeing news coverage of it. Mas'ud, who is being held in a Virginia prison facility without bond, has until December 19, 2022, to hire a lawyer of his own to represent him. On December 27, there will be a hearing on detention.
On Sunday, December 11, 2022, it was revealed that Mas'ud had been arrested, marking a significant turning point in the lengthy inquiry. Mas'ud, who was being held by Libya at the time, was charged by American authorities in December 2020. He is the first Libyan intelligence official to be prosecuted in an American courtroom despite the fact that he is the third to be charged with crimes related to the attack in the United States.