A former Afghan Taliban commander convicted of kidnapping a journalist and supporting attacks that killed American troops in Afghanistan has been sentenced to 42 years in prison by a US court.
Haji Najibullah, 50, received the sentence on Tuesday after pleading guilty last year to hostage taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, according to the US Department of Justice.
US prosecutors accused Najibullah of abducting an American journalist, later identified as New York Times reporter David Rohde, along with two Afghan civilians. He was also charged in connection with attacks carried out by forces under his command that resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers and an Afghan interpreter in June 2008.
Najibullah was arrested in Ukraine and extradited to the United States in 2020 to face charges.
Commenting on the case, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said: âThose who harm Americans and engage in acts of terrorism will be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long it takes.â
Rohde was kidnapped in Afghanistan in November 2008 alongside a translator and a driver. The New York Times kept news of the abduction confidential at the time to avoid jeopardising efforts to secure his release. Rohde later escaped from captivity in June 2009.
According to court records, Najibullah served as a prominent Taliban commander and unofficial spokesperson in Afghanistanâs Wardak province, overseeing more than 1,000 fighters operating near Kabul.
He admitted to organising ambush-style attacks targeting US military convoys. Prosecutors said forces under his command were directly responsible for a June 2008 attack that killed three US soldiers and an Afghan interpreter, as well as the downing of a military helicopter later that year in October 2008.
The sentencing marks the conclusion of a years-long effort by US authorities to prosecute Najibullah for his role in hostage-taking and deadly attacks against American and Afghan personnel during the war in Afghanistan.
