The widow of a Lockerbie bombing victim is urging those affected by the tragedy to request virtual access to the upcoming trial of a Libyan suspect.
The FBI has launched an international search for those impacted by the 1988 atrocity, which claimed the lives of all 259 passengers and crew aboard Pan Am Flight 103, as well as 11 people on the ground when the plane exploded over the Scottish town.
New US legislation now allows victims to remotely access the court proceedings of the trial of Abu Agila Masud, who is accused of helping to make the bomb. The trial is set to take place in May 2025, with Masud facing three charges, all of which he denies.
Victims have until October 9 to fill out an online form requesting virtual access, according to the US Department of Justice.
Victoria Cummock, widow of Florida passenger John Cummock, whose body was found in the wreckage of the plane’s nose cone, is calling on others to take advantage of this option.
Mrs Cumnock, a trustee of Tundergarth Kirks Trust and chief executive of the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie Legacy Foundation, said: “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 ageing 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.
“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.”
The plane exploded over Lockerbie on December 21, 1988, just 40 minutes into its flight from London to New York.
US law defines a victim in two ways, the first being anyone present at or near the scene in Lockerbie when the bombing occurred or immediately afterwards who suffered “direct or proximate harm (eg physical or emotional injury)”.
The other group comprises the spouse, legal guardian, parent, child, brother, sister, next of kin, or other relative of someone who was killed aboard the plane or killed or harmed on the ground, or someone who possesses a relationship of similar significance to them.
The FBI is gathering information to demonstrate the widespread geographical locations of victims, which could impact their access to the trial in person.
A Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service spokesperson said: “Scottish and US authorities have worked together since 1988 to bring those responsible for this atrocity to justice.
“That work continues as a dedicated team of Scottish prosecutors and officers from Police Scotland support the US Department of Justice and the FBI in the prosecution of Masud. While people of interest are still alive and there is evidence that can continue to be gathered, this investigation will not stop.”
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer, remains the only person convicted in connection with the bombing. He was found guilty of 270 counts of murder by a panel of three Scottish judges, sitting at a special court in the Hague in 2001. He was later released on compassionate grounds in 2009, before dying in Libya in 2012.
The FBI’s online form for victims can be accessed here.
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