MOSCOW. June 23 (Interfax) - The capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala in Libya by United States' security forces, suspected by Washington of an attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, is not an exercise of the right to self-defense as claimed by the U.S. authorities, Moscow says.
"The U.S. delegation to the UN (United Nations) has circulated a letter in the UN Security Council about the capturing by Americans in Libya of Ahmed Abu Khattala who is claimed by the U.S. to be the key figure in an armed attack on the premises of the U.S. Temporary Mission in Benghazi," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary posted on its website on Monday.
In their letter the U.S. authorities claim that the raid was conducted as part of an exercise of the right to self-defense, the ministry said.
"We are convinced that the capturing of people on suspicion of crimes which took place several years ago by forces of one state on the territory of a foreign one has nothing to do with the exercise of the right to self-defense enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter," the statement said.
"Such situations must be resolved in inter-state cooperation on criminal inquiries in accordance with the effective provisions of international law and without references to the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.