A federal jury in Virginia convicted an Afghan man, Mohammad Sharifullah, of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization linked to the deadly August 26, 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport. The attack killed about 13 U.S. service members and approximately 160 Afghan civilians as U.S. forces were evacuating from Afghanistan.
Key Takeaways
A federal jury in Virginia convicted an Afghan man, Mohammad Sharifullah, of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization linked to the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 160 Afghan civilians. The jury deadlocked on whether his actions directly caused the deaths, sparing him from a possible life sentence but leaving him facing up to 20 years in prison.
- Mohammad Sharifullah convicted of conspiracy charges related to the Kabul airport attack
- Jury deadlocks on whether Sharifullah's actions directly caused deaths
- Prosecutors allege Sharifullah aided ISIS-K by conducting reconnaissance and facilitating communications
- Defense argues government relied too heavily on Sharifullah’s own statements during FBI interrogations
The jury deadlocked on whether Sharifullah's actions directly caused the deaths, sparing him from a possible life sentence but leaving him facing up to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga did not immediately set a sentencing date.
Prosecutors said Sharifullah helped ISIS-K by conducting reconnaissance and facilitating communications ahead of the attack, as reported by Reuters. Defense attorneys argued that prosecutors relied too heavily on Sharifullah’s own statements during FBI interrogations and failed to independently prove his role in the bombing, according to coverage from Los Angeles Times and Fox News.
The case marked the first U.S. criminal trial stemming from the Abbey Gate attack, a politically charged episode that has continued to shape debate over how former President Joe Biden's administration withdrew from Afghanistan. Sharifullah was arrested in Pakistan near the Afghan border by Pakistani security forces working with the FBI and CIA early in President Donald Trump's second term.
Defense attorney Lauren Rosen argued that prosecutors failed to present any evidence tying Sharifullah to the bombing besides his own words during hours of FBI questioning. She claimed he told FBI agents what he thought they wanted to hear, possibly because he was afraid of being tortured in Pakistani custody before he was brought to the U.S., according to Los Angeles Times and Fox News.
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