Yes, a decade later this case is still stuck in our legal system. But at least there's some progress on the justice front.
A U.S. appeals court decided Tuesday that a Libyan man’s 22-year sentence for his role in the 2012 Benghazi attack wasn’t enough.
Ahmed Abu Khatallah, 51, was originally convicted in 2018 on several counts for his involvement in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on U.S. intelligence and diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya — where armed militants overwhelmed security at the U.S. mission and killed four Americans. Khatallah appealed his conviction, but the government cross-appealed — arguing the 22-year sentence a judge imposed was unreasonably low.
You won't be too surprised that we're dealing with an Obama judge here.
U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper in 2018 could have imposed a greater sentence on Khatallah — because two of his convictions pertained to terrorism — offering up the possibility of life in prison. But Cooper went with the lesser sentence of 22 years, attributing his decision in part to not relying on the charges Khatallah was acquitted of.--->READ MORE HERE
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| Evan Vucci/AP Photo |
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that Ahmed Abu Khatallah’s sentence is “substantively unreasonably low in light of the gravity of his crimes of terrorism.”
A U.S. appeals court decided Tuesday that a Libyan man’s 22-year sentence for his role in the 2012 Benghazi attack wasn’t enough.
Ahmed Abu Khatallah, 51, was originally convicted in 2018 on several counts for his involvement in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on U.S. intelligence and diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya — where armed militants overwhelmed security at the U.S. mission and killed four Americans. Khatallah appealed his conviction, but the government cross-appealed — arguing the 22-year sentence a judge imposed was unreasonably low.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday reversed the district court’s sentence, agreeing with the government that “Khatallah’s sentence is substantively unreasonably low in light of the gravity of his crimes of terrorism.”
Khatallah was acquitted in November 2018 of the most serious charges related to the deaths of the Americans in the attack. But he was convicted on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and another count of providing material support to terrorists, as well as for destruction of property that endangered others and using a semiautomatic weapon during a crime of violence.
The government on Tuesday agreed that the jury was sensible in finding that there was not a strong link between Khatallah and any deaths in the mission, but the appeals court panel’s opinion said a reasonable juror could “still find that Khatallah was liable for placing Americans’ lives in jeopardy.” --->READ MORE HERE
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