CNN has reported that the sentence of the Libyan Ahmed Abu Khattala has been extended to 28 years, on charges of participating in the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi in 2012.
The American network also said that Judge Christopher Cooper acquitted Abu Khattala of four murder charges; due to US government's failure to prove the most serious charges in this case.
This new ruling comes after the Federal Court of Appeals' decision to reconsider the original sentence of 22 years, considering the previous sentence "unreasonably low."
According to CNN, the federal prosecution was seeking to sentence him to at least 60 years in prison.
Abu Khattala attended the trial session and sat silently at the defense table wearing a white prison suit and listened to the proceedings through interpreters and did not address the court.
The American judiciary had convicted Abu Khattala in 2018 on four federal charges, which are; “Conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists; providing material support and resources to terrorists; destroying a federal building; and carrying a semi-automatic assault weapon during the commission of a crime of violence.”
Abu Khattala was sentenced six years ago to 12 years in prison for each of the first three counts, which he was serving concurrently. The judge also sentenced Abu Khattala for 10 years for the fourth count and ordered him to complete that sentence after completing the 12-year sentence.
