New charges for crimes including those punishible by death were brought against Ahmed Abu Khatalla, a Libyan militant accused of involvement in the September 2012 attacks on the United States diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, have been issued by a federal grand jury, according to The Associated Press.
The indictment comes after earlier accusations brought against Khatalla in July, and adds 17 charges, including allegations he led an extremist militia group and conspired with others to attack the facilities and kill U.S. citizens, the AP reported.
The new U.S. indictment also says Khatalla had been the commander of an militant Islamist militia called Ubaydah bin Jarrah, according to the AP.
Khatalla, who is already imprisoned, was captured in Libya in June by a U.S. military and FBI team and transported to the United States aboard a U.S. Navy ship to face charges in Washington, D.C., federal court, CBS reported.
Khatalla's attorney, public defender Michelle Peterson, cautioned against a "rush to judgment," adding that "it's certainly not the first time the government has been wrong about Benghazi," CBS reported.
"It is important to remember that an indictment is merely a set of allegations or charges, it is not evidence," Peterson said, the AP reported. "We will vigorously defend Mr. Abu (Khattala) in court where the government will be forced to prove his guilt, based upon actual evidence."
Four Americans were killed in the attack, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, according to the AP. Evidence later emerged that U.S. agencies had been warning for months about weak security and possible attacks against U.S. facilities in Libya.
In media interviews before his capture by U.S. forces, Khatalla denied involvement in the attacks against a compound used by the State Department as a consular office and a nearby compound used by the CIA as its Benghazi base, CBS reported.
