Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a US citizen of Chechen origin, was convicted by an American court of committing a terrorist act in 2013 in the city of Boston (Massachusetts) and sentenced to death. The investigation suspects his elder brother Tamerlan, who was killed during an arrest attempt, of complicity in the crime.
Boston explosions
A terrorist act occurred at one of the most famous marathon races in the world. Two pipe bombs were located near the finish line. During the final stage of the sports competition, many spectators and journalists gathered in this place. Explosive devices detonated with an interval of several seconds. The total number of victims was 280 people. Some of the wounded had their limbs torn off. Three, including an 8-year-old child, died. According to information received from doctors and investigating authorities, the bombs were stuffed with nails and metal balls. The police urgently evacuated spectators and runners from the scene of the tragic event. All government offices in the city have closed.residents were advised not to leave their homes.
Development of events after the explosions
Law enforcement agencies received from witnesses a description of the appearance of the suspects, as well as their images from CCTV cameras. The identities of the alleged perpetrators have been identified. Three days after the terrorist act in the city of Watertown, two more incidents occurred involving Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother. They shot dead a 27-year-old police officer, then stole a car, taking its owner hostage. According to the victim, the brothers told him that they were the organizers of the explosions.
Arrest
Police officers identified the Tsarnaevs on one of the streets of Watertown. A shootout ensued, in which two officers were seriously injured. According to eyewitnesses, the brothers carried an arsenal of weapons, including hand grenades. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was wounded but managed to escape. Leaving the scene of the shootout, he was run over by his older brother's car. A few hours later, Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in hospital from his injuries.
A large-scale raid was organized, in which thousands of police officers took part. One of the residents of the city reported that the wounded suspect hid in the backyard of his house. Representatives of the law arrested Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. No weapons were found on him at the time of his arrest.
Litigation
At the first public hearing, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev did not agree to admit his guilt. His sanity and ability to bear responsibility for his actions was proved. Lawyers tried to convince the jury and the judge that Dzhokhar was the victim of manipulation by Tamerlane. Representatives of the prosecution claimed that the reason for his actions was extremist views.
The court concluded that Tsarnaev took part in planting bombs and was present at the murder of a police officer in the city of Watertown. He was found guilty on all counts put forward by the prosecutor's office during the hearing. The judge decided that capital punishment should be imposed for the crimes committed by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The death pen alty, in accordance with American law, is carried out by lethal injection.
Motivation
According to FBI investigators, the Tsarnaevs acted on the basis of extremist beliefs, but were not associated with any known terrorist group. They learned the technology of making bombs from sources on the Internet. According to Johar, their actions were motivated by the desire to take revenge on the United States for conducting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Features of the US judicial system
Currently, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is in a maximum security prison awaiting his future fate. Due to the specifics of American law, the prospects for the execution of the sentence remain uncertain. In the state of Massachusetts, where the terrorist act took place, the death pen alty has been abolished since 1984. SentenceTsarnaev was issued at the federal level. This gives lawyers ample opportunity to file appeals. This is what Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is counting on. The execution will take many years if the legal procedures drag on. It is possible that he will be able to avoid the execution of the death sentence altogether.
