An extremist terrorist who killed 8 people by running over people with a small truck on a bike path along the Hudson River in New York five years ago was sentenced to multiple life sentences and 260 years in prison.
According to the Associated Press on the 18th (local time), the Southern District Court of New York sentenced Uzbek native Saifullo Saipov to 10 life sentences and 260 years in prison on charges of murder and terrorism on the 17th.
Prosecutors sought a total of 10 life sentences. Eight of these were ordered sequentially, and two were served concurrently. This seems to have prevented the possibility of being released on parole in advance. In addition, the prosecution requested an additional 260 years in prison with a warning message on the act of terrorism.
Judge Vernon Broderick handed down the sentence as the prosecutors demanded and explained the reason for the sentencing, saying, “His crimes are among the most heinous cases I have ever seen.”
Saipov, who was given the opportunity to speak in court, said, “During the six-month trial, the tears of the victims and their families wet a tissue, but the tears and blood of Islam followers will fill the courtroom.” Saipov also uttered gibberish about religion and the role the devil played in human evolution.
The bereaved family members who were listening to this shouted, “The only thing the devil did right now is what you did.” Another victim’s family said, “Only a monster can do what you did,” and a victim who lost his leg in Saipov’s terror criticized him, saying, “I will never be able to walk like you.”
Judge Broderick criticized Saifoff for “not caring about the suffering of the victims.” “The accused’s family is also ashamed of what he did. In particular, his father was deeply traumatized by his son’s act of terrorism.”
On the other hand, it was predicted that Saipov would be sentenced to death in this trial, but it was not accepted by the jury.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement after the ruling and said, “The Department of Justice will strongly protect the American people from the threat of terrorism and will work tirelessly to ensure that those who committed terrorist attacks are brought to justice.”
On October 31, 2017, Halloween, at around 3:00 PM, Saipov drove a small pickup truck at 106 km/h along the Hudson River bike path in Lower Manhattan, killing 8 people and injuring 2 children by striking cyclists and pedestrians. Including 12 people were injured.
The truck, which was speeding along the bike path, stopped after crashing into a school bus near the World Trade Center, where the ‘9/11 terrorist attack’ occurred. Saipov shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is great) after the crime and threatened passersby with an imitation gun and bullets as he got out of the truck.
After he was arrested, he proudly boasted of his crime and reportedly demanded that the flag of IS be raised over the hospital room where he was staying. At the time of his arrest, Saipov was shot by the New York Police Department (NYPD) and underwent surgery.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.