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Sayegh initially cooperated with U.S. authorities but was later deported to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One of the men indicted Thursday on charges of conspiring to bomb the Khobar Towers was detained in the United States for two years before being expelled in 1999 to face charges in Saudi Arabia.

According to the indictment, Hani Sayegh was the driver of a car that signaled "all was clear by blinking its lights" to the bomb truck, which then pulled into position for detonation near the Khobar Towers, the military housing complex near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The June 25, 1996, blast killed 19 U.S. airmen and injured hundreds of people.

Sayegh, a Saudi national, was arrested in Canada in March 1997 and met with U.S. investigators at his request in May of that year, according to the indictment. After agreeing to help U.S. authorities, he was moved to a facility in Atlanta, but he then became uncooperative.

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"Among other things, Sayegh falsely denied knowledge of the Khobar Towers attack and falsely described a purported estrangement between Saudi Hezbollah and elements of the Iranian government," the indictment said. "After he was removed to the United States in June 1997 on his promise to assist American investigators, Sayegh reneged on that promise and unsuccessfully sought political asylum in the United States."

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Sayegh fought expulsion to Saudi Arabia, saying he faced torture and certain death if returned to his homeland. In 1999, Attorney General Janet Reno decided to remove him and an appeals courts denied his motions to block deportation.

U.S. officials said they were given assurances by the Saudi government that Sayegh would not be tortured and FBI agents handed him over to Saudi authorities in October 1999.

According to Amnesty International, Sayegh has since "been held in virtual incommunicado detention" in a maximum-security prison in Riyadh "without access to lawyers and with only limited contact with his family. He has had no opportunity to challenge the legality of his detention."

The human rights organization issued a statement Thursday, saying it believes Sayegh "has been at risk of torture during his detention," although the organization said they have no proof of torture.

Amnesty called on the United States to "explain in full what steps they have taken to ensure that Sayegh's rights have been guaranteed while in Saudi Arabian custody. Without an adequate explanation, any information he provided under interrogation must be considered less than reliable."

The organization said Saudi Arabia has not indicated when a trial will be held or if international observers will be allowed to attend. Amnesty said its requests seeking visas to attend his eventual trial have been ignored.

"Amnesty International fears that Sayegh may face execution by beheading after an unfair trial," the group said.

At a joint news conference in Washington, neither Attorney General John Ashcroft nor FBI Director Louis Freeh talked about specific individuals indicted.

The indictments were announced before the statute of limitations for the attempted murder and various conspiracy charges expires on Monday, the fifth anniversary of the bombing.

Of the 14 indicted, Freeh said only some of the defendants are in custody, but he would not say how many are in custody or specify what government has detained them.

"There's a number of them that we need to find, and we will find them," Freeh said in his last news conference before he steps down as FBI director. "I am very confident that they will be brought to justice and, hopefully, in the United States some of them at some point."