The US Department of Justice on Tuesday indicted more than a dozen members of the Turkish president's security detail for a brawl between them and protesters during the leader's last visit to the US that a grand jury says was rooted in prejudice against the victims based on their ethnicity and political ties.

Of the 19 people named in the indictment handed down at the Superior Court of Washington, DC, 15 are members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security forces. His trip in May was marred when his supporters clashed with anti-Erdogan protesters on Washington's Sheridan Circle. Videos of the attack quickly went viral, and showed the men kicking, choking, and otherwise beating protesters, sparking international outcry.

All of them face at least one charge of conspiracy to commit violence. But they face a stiffer penalty than usual in this case, as the grand jury has determined that their assault on anti-Erdogan protesters "demonstrated the prejudice based on the actual or perceived ethnicity." Under DC law, this "bias enhancement" could increase the amount of prison time and financial penalties the defendants face if they're found guilty.

"The members and associates of this group were bound together by their aversion towards a group of persons who oppose Mr. Erdogan, support pro-Kurdish political parties in Turkey and Syria, and are of ethnic Kurdish background from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey," the indictment reads.

Several others also face charges of aggravated assault, assault with serious bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon, in this case their own feet encased in their shoes. All 21 charges the men collectively face have been augmented to take into consideration DC's hate crime laws.