“New York terrorist attacker sentenced to eight life sentences and 260 years in prison for 2017 attack”

With our correspondent in New York, Loubna Anaki

For an hour, Wednesday, May 16, facing the federal judge in New York, Sayfullo Saipov, defended, justified his act and the terrorist attack he carried out in October 2017 on behalf of the Islamic State group. On Halloween day, he launched his pick-up on a walk along the Hudson, mowing down many people and killing eight people. One of the deadliest attacks in New York since 9/11.

No regrets

At no time did this 35-year-old man from Uzbekistan show any regret. “ You don’t care about the pain of the victims caused by your callous and cowardly actions “, Judge Vernon Broderick told him before pronouncing his sentence: eight life sentences, plus 260 years in prison. A very heavy sentence, but which is far from the death sentence initially demanded by the prosecutor and on which the jury could not agree.

high security prison

On Wednesday, 19 people, relatives of victims and survivors, also took the floor to say how the attack had changed their lives. One of the injured reproaches Sayfullo Saipov for keeping his head down and not looking them in the face.

Sayfullo Saipov will now serve his sentence in a high security prison in Colorado where he will be placed in solitary confinement 22 hours a day.

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