NEW YORK: A former Afghan Taliban commander, Haji Najibullah (50), has been sentenced to 42 years in prison by a U.S. court over charges linked to kidnapping and terrorism-related killings.
U.S. prosecutors said Najibullah was responsible for the 2008 abduction of American journalist David Rohde, then working for The New York Times, along with two Afghan civilians. He was also convicted in connection with an attack that killed three U.S. soldiers and an Afghan interpreter in June 2008.
Najibullah was arrested in Ukraine and extradited to the United States in 2020. He later pleaded guilty to hostage-taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Officials said the sentence reflects accountability for attacks on U.S. citizens and forces. “Those who harm Americans and engage in acts of terrorism will be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long it takes,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
David Rohde was kidnapped in Afghanistan in November 2008 and held for months before escaping captivity in June 2009, according to The New York Times.