NEW YORK: A former Afghan Taliban commander convicted of abducting a journalist and orchestrating attacks that killed American troops in 2008 was sentenced to 42 years in prison by a US court on Tuesday.
Haji Najibullah, 50, was accused by US prosecutors of kidnapping an American journalist — later identified as New York Times reporter David Rohde — along with two Afghan civilians.
He was also held responsible for the deaths of three US soldiers and an Afghan interpreter in a June 2008 attack carried out by fighters under his command.
Najibullah was arrested in Ukraine and extradited to the United States in 2020 to face terrorism-related charges.
According to the US Department of Justice, he pleaded guilty last year to hostage-taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death.
“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 following the sentencing.
Rohde was kidnapped in Afghanistan in November 2008 along with his translator and driver. The New York Times kept news of the abduction secret at the time to avoid putting his life at greater risk.
After more than seven months in captivity, Rohde managed to escape from his captors in June 2009, according to the newspaper.