{
  "id": 1534966,
  "title": "Use of words 'terrorist' and 'terrorism' will be limited in Pan Am Lockerbie trial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/use-of-words-terrorist-and-terrorism-will-be-limited-in-pan-am-1534966",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-17T17:54:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/08/17/pan-am-lockerbie-suspect-trial/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During the pre-trial hearing for Abu Agila Mohammad Masud, the accused in the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, US District Judge Dabney Friedrich announced that the words \"terrorism\" and \"terrorist\" will be limited in the upcoming trial. This decision aims to prevent jury bias while allowing the terms to be used in specific contexts such as witness job titles and areas of expertise. The bombing resulted in the deaths of 259 people on board the flight and 11 more on the ground in Lockerbie, with 190 of the victims being US citizens. Only one individual, Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, has been convicted of the bombing, though he passed away in 2012. Masud, who began serving in US custody in 2022, listened to the proceedings through headphones and through a translator. About 150 pieces of evidence related to the crash were to be introduced by US prosecutors, much of which has been stored in warehouses in Scotland for decades. Jury instructions will warn jurors against using online betting and prediction markets during the trial. Jury selection for the trial is expected to commence on August 25.",
  "summary": "Use of the word “terrorism” will be limited during the trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Masud , who is accused of making the bomb that brought down Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988. US District Judge Dabney Friedrich made the decision at the request of Mr Masud's court-appointed defence team during a pre-trial hearing on Monday. Ms Friedrich said that in addition to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Use of words 'terrorist' and 'terrorism' will be limited in Pan Am Lockerbie trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/use-of-words-terrorist-and-terrorism-will-be-limited-in-pan-am",
        "published": "2026-08-17T17:54:42.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}