Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Is ‘Innocent,’ Relative Says
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FBI(GROZNY, Chechnya) — A relative of convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told ABC News Tsarnaev is “innocent” and asked that the family be left alone.
Saeed Tsarnaev, a cousin of Tsarnaev’s father living in Grozny, Chechnya, said the parents are distraught that a Boston jury found their son guilty Wednesday on all 30 counts related to the 2013 bombing.
Kheda Saratova, a Chechen human rights activist who has worked with the parents since the 2013 bombing, said she is worried about Tsarnaev’s mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaev, who she described as “devastated and weak.” She says Tsarnaev’s U.S. lawyers have advised the parents not to speak to the media.
Tsarnaev could face the death penalty after Wednesday’s conviction, with the same jury deciding whether he will be sentenced to life in prison or death.
Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan, placed and detonated two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Afterward, the brothers fled authorities with Tamerlan killed in a shootout with police days after the attack. Tsarnaev was later arrested after hiding out in a boat.
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