The author of a terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State (IS) group in New York that killed eight people in 2017 was sentenced to 10 life sentences and an additional 260 years in prison.
“The behavior in this case is some of the worst, if not the worst, I’ve ever seen”said U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, announcing a verdict designed to underline the seriousness of the terrorist attack carried out in a “callous and cowardly” manner by Sayfullo Saipov.
The Uzbek was found guilty of killing eight people at the end of January, but in March a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision to sentence him to the death penalty, leading to the automatic imposition of life imprisonment.
The judge agreed to the sentence recommended by the Justice Department, which had originally called for the death penalty, still during former President Donald Trump’s administration (2017-2021).
On Halloween 2017, Sayfullo Saipov’s van rammed into pedestrians on a busy Manhattan bike path, injuring many and killing eight people, including five Argentines and a Belgian.
This was the deadliest attack in New York after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Sayfullo Saipov acknowledged being the author of a message written in Arabic referring to the self-proclaimed Islamic State, along with a flag belonging to the extremist group found next to the van used in the attack that took place near the World Trade Center memorial.
This trial was the first at the federal level during Joe Biden’s term in which the death penalty was at stake.
The Democratic president, who was elected in November 2020, had pledged during his campaign to work for the abolition of the death penalty at the federal level without interfering with state decisions.
The death penalty has been abolished in New York State, but can be carried out in the event of a federal trial. However, the last execution took place in this state several decades ago.
Source: DN
