Revised sentencing for alleged Benghazi architect Ahmed Abu Khatallah: 28 years in confinement
Over two years after a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. deemed his initial 22-year sentence as excessively lenient and commanded the presiding judge to reevaluate it, the new sentence for Khatallah was imposed.
The federal prosecution team had pushed for a sentence of either life imprisonment or at least 60 years, but U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper opted to add only six additional years to Khatallah's sentence. Judge Cooper argued that the crimes he was found guilty of did not justify a significantly longer prison term.
In 2018, Khatallah was found guilty of four federal charges, including: Collaboration to provide material assistance and resources to terrorists; supplying material assistance and resources to terrorists; damaging a federal building; and carrying a semiautomatic weapon during a violent crime.
This story is still developing and will continue to be updated.
Despite the federal prosecution's emphasis on severe punishment due to Khatallah's role in terror-related activities, politics surrounding his case likely played a role in the relatively lenient sentence. The length of Khatallah's prison term sparked debates in political circles, highlighting the complexity of handling terrorism cases within the court system.
