Afghan charged in deadly bombing at Kabul airport gave false confession, his attorney tells jurors
Prosecutors say he scouted the bomber’s route and checked checkpoints, while the defense says Sharifullah gave a false confession under duress.
- On Monday, the federal trial of Mohammad Sharifullah opened in Alexandria, Virginia, with prosecutors accusing him of scouting the route for the 2021 Abbey Gate suicide bombing.
- The August 26, 2021, attack at the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members and approximately 160 Afghans; Central Command identified the bomber as Islamic State militant Abdul Rahman al-Logari, released by the Taliban.
- Federal Public Defender Geremy Kamens argued authorities "got the wrong man," claiming Sharifullah's confession was coerced under duress in Pakistani custody while prosecutors alleged he trained ISIS-K militants for a March 2024 Moscow attack killing roughly 140 people.
- If convicted of providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, Sharifullah faces a maximum sentence of life in prison; the trial is expected to last about a week.
- President Donald Trump announced Sharifullah's 2025 capture during his State of the Union address, while Biden administration officials noted the Taliban killed the Abbey Gate mastermind in 2023 following criticism of the 2021 withdrawal.
22 Articles
22 Articles
U.S. trial opens in Kabul airport bombing case as defence claims “wrong man”
Trial of a Kabul airport bombing suspect opens in the United States, with defence denying involvement and prosecutors outlining alleged ISIS links. The trial of Mohammad Sharifullah, accused of aiding the deadly Kabul airport bombing, has begun in Virginia, with his lawyer arguing the U.S. has detained the wrong person. Defence attorney Jeremy Commons said Sharifullah had no role in planning the attack and may have given a “false confession” und…
Controversy at the Kabul Airport Trial: Allegations of the Wrong Man
U.S. authorities are on trial in Virginia for allegedly misidentifying Mohammad Sharifullah, accused of involvement in a Kabul airport bombing. Defense argues he falsely confessed, while prosecutors cite his ties to ISIS-K. The trial is testing the government's handling of its Afghanistan exit, with defense claiming forced confession under duress.
Associated Press News
Afghan charged in deadly bombing at Kabul airport gave false confession, his attorney tells jurors
A trial is underway in Virginia for an alleged Islamic State militant charged in a deadly suicide bombing at a Kabul airport during the American military’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
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