Mustafa Al-Imam was sentenced Thursday to more than 19 years in prison for conspiring to provide material support to the terrorists who were responsible for the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya.
"Al-Imam's sentencing today sends a strong message to those who would attempt to commit such a heinous crime," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in a statement Thursday night.
"We express our continued gratitude to the U.S. law enforcement, military, and intelligence communities for their relentless efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack. We continue to mourn the losses of Amb. Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods. Each sacrificed his life promoting American ideals. Their colleagues serving around the world today continue that important work in the same spirit and in their honor."
Al-Imam, who was captured in 2017 in Libya, faced a maximum sentence of 35 years, according to The New York Times.
"We are disappointed by the sentence, which was based on allegations the jury did not believe," Al-Imam lawyer Matthew J. Peed wrote in an email to the Times, saying an appeal will be filed. "The judge did find that Mr. Al-Imam played a minor role in these events and harbored no animus toward America, which was encouraging. We look forward to an appeal, and hope those truly responsible for this attack are brought to justice."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.