Lockerbie trial jury warned against using online betting markets
Proposed jury instructions for the trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud, who is accused of constructing the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, include a specific warning regarding online betting and prediction markets. US federal prosecutors and court-appointed defence counsel submitted the joint proposed instructions on Thursday. These will be read to jurors once the trial commences, with jury selection tentatively scheduled for 25 August, though this date remains subject to change. The draft states: 'You may have heard of online betting markets, prediction markets, or similar platforms where people bet on the outcome of events, including the outcome of cases and trials.' Jurors are instructed not to visit or participate in such platforms before or during deliberations, and specifically to avoid checking 'odds or predictions regarding the verdict, the outcome of the trial, or any other aspect of the case.' This warning reflects the shift in the information and technology landscape since the 1988 attack. While the popularity of online prediction and betting markets has surged, they have faced criticism from public health experts regarding compulsive gambling and accusations from casinos of bypassing regulations. Several US states have attempted to ban them, and the platforms have faced their own legal challenges. The 21 December 1988 explosion killed all 259 people on board shortly after the flight departed London. Falling debris killed 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, bringing the total death toll to 270, including 190 US citizens. Prosecutors allege the bomb was concealed in a suitcase in Malta before being transferred to the flight at London Heathrow. To date, only Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer, has been convicted in connection with the bombing; he died in 2012. Mas'ud, a Tunisian-born former Libyan intelligence operative, is now in his mid-70s and faces various health issues. He typically remains silent during proceedings, following the trial through an interpreter via headphones. In February, a dispute arose regarding the admissibility of a 2012 confession Mas'ud made to a Libyan interrogator. Mas'ud later claimed the confession was coerced, alleging he was threatened and beaten into falsely admitting to building the bomb. This confession remains a central point of contention between the prosecution and the defence. In a July hearing, parties debated a Pan Am telex message concerning luggage handling, which stated: 'If passenger does not show, bag goes on.' Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that part of the message could be admitted as evidence but declined to accept the full text requested by prosecutors. The prosecution and defence also disagree on how to interpret evidence linking Mas'ud to the 1986 bombing of the La Belle nightclub in West Berlin. Judge Friedrich will determine the final jury instructions. A significant challenge remains in selecting a jury that does not possess excessive prior knowledge of the Lockerbie disaster, given the extensive media coverage and previous trials. The draft instructions emphasise that jurors must not judge the proceedings or outcomes of previous cases related to the bombing in which Mas'ud was not a party. The trial follows the release of a six-part Netflix docuseries, 'Lockerbie: A Flight 103 Bombing'.