Litigation

Life Sentence Imposed in Terror Case

By Peter Hardin

Convicted terrorist Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani was sentenced in federal court in New York City today to life in prison for his role in 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya.

He was the first former Guantanamo detainee to be prosecuted successfully and sentenced in a civilian court in the United States, according to a Los Angeles Times article.

“The sentence marks a much-needed victory” for the Obama administration “in its efforts to convince the American public that terrorists like Ghailani can safely be tried, convicted and sentenced in U.S. civilian courts,” the newspaper reported.

A jury acquitted Ghailani of more than 280 charges of murder and conspiracy, convicting him of only one charge — of conspiracy to destroy government property and buildings (for background, see Gavel Grab).

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. maintained the case showed federal courtrooms are often right for trying terrorists.

“Hundreds of individuals have now been convicted in federal court of terrorism or terrorism-related crimes since Sept. 11, 2001,” Holder said in a statement. “As this case demonstrates,” he said, “we will not rest in bringing to justice terrorists who seek to harm the American people, and we will use every tool available to the government to do so.”

Ghailani got the same maximum sentence — without parole — that he would have faced had the jury convicted him on all of the charges, a New York Times article reported.

Full post as published by The Gavel on January 25, 2011 (boomark / email).