Trial Viewing to Be Held in Designated Locations for Lockerbie Victims
A judge has ruled that Lockerbie bombing victims must view the trial in person at designated locations, not from home.
Lockerbie, USA, Abu Masud, Trial, Bombing
Lockerbie: So, here’s the scoop. An American judge just decided that folks affected by the Lockerbie bombing can’t watch the upcoming trial from their homes. Instead, they’ll have to go to specific places like American embassies or courthouses to catch the action.
The trial is set for May in Washington, and it’s all about the alleged bombmaker, Abu Masud. The US Department of Justice had suggested letting victims watch online, but the judge wasn’t having it. She’s worried that if they livestream it, it could get shared everywhere and stick around on the internet forever.
The judge, Dabney Friedrich, pointed out that this could mess with Masud’s right to a fair trial. She acknowledged that it would be easier and cheaper for victims to watch from home, but the risks were just too high. Even one slip-up could cause big problems.
She emphasized that in today’s digital world, a rebroadcast could go viral and never disappear. This could not only affect the current trial but also any future ones. So, she’s ordered that there be “designated secure viewing locations” for everyone involved.
As for how this will work in the UK, there aren’t many details yet, but the closest American consulate to Lockerbie is in Edinburgh. So, it looks like that might be one of the spots.