Plans for the long-awaited trial of alleged Lockerbie bomb maker Abu Agila Mohammad Masud Al Marimi have taken Ramadan, forecast to start on February 7, into account.
All 259 people on board Pan Am Flight 103 died in the 1988 terrorist attack for which Mr Al Marimi is accused.
Eleven were killed on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland, by falling debris from the explosion, which occurred shortly after the flight took off from London on December 21.
Of the 270 victims, 190 were US citizens. The US government filed charges against Mr Al Marimi in 2020 and arrested him in 2022. He pleaded not guilty in 2023.
The suspect's health problems, defence team changes, long pre-trial deliberations and the introduction of several pieces of new evidence have delayed the trial.
Washington District Judge Dabney Friedrich recently set a goal of starting jury selection for the trial in January 2027.
According to a recently filed joint status update for the trial, the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan could affect the start of it.
"The parties have noted that Ramadan is likely to begin February 7, 2027," the status update reads in part.
"Several of the government witnesses observe Ramadan. If witness testimony begins on or about January 19, that will allow three weeks for the government to present any witnesses where Ramadan might affect their availability.
"If jury selection is shifted until January 19, 2027, witness testimony may not even begin until January 25, 2027, which only allows 10 days before the start of Ramadan."
Another recently filed document from US federal prosecutors sheds light on one of many witnesses the government plans to use to make its case against Mr Al Marimi.
"As part of its case-in-chief, the government expects to call Alison Pargeter, an expert in Libyan history," the filing reads.
It mentions arguments over what testimony from Ms Pargeter, author of Libya: The Rise and Fall of Qaddafi, will ultimately be heard by a jury.
In August, proposed jury instructions for the trial seen by The National show that both the prosecution and defence teams are concerned about online prediction and betting markets affecting the case.
"You may have heard of online betting markets, prediction markets, or similar platforms where people can place bets or wagers on the outcome of events, including the outcome of court cases and trials," reads the proposed jury instructions agreed to by the defence and prosecution.
About 150 pieces of crash evidence will be presented, along with accounts of witnesses from several countries. Evidence will also come in the form of passports, hotel records, receipts, telegrams, baggage tags and letters.
Many of those documents come from Libya, the UK, the US, Malta, and what was then known as Czechoslovakia.
Adding to the buzz around the case has been the release of a six-part series by Netflix titled The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. It portrays the events leading up to the incident and the investigation into it.
The series recently ranked among Netflix’s top 10 TV shows in the US.
