US Court Sentences Ex-Taliban Commander to Forty-Two Years in Hostage Case

(MENAFN) A former Taliban commander has been sentenced by a US court to 42 years behind bars, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in hostage-taking operations that included the abduction of an American journalist.

According to court records, 50-year-old Haji Najibullah was convicted for his role in holding an American reporter and two Afghan citizens captive in Afghanistan and Pakistan during 2008 and 2009.

The sentence also relates to his leadership of Taliban fighters responsible for attacks against US military personnel in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009. Those assaults resulted in the deaths of several American service members, according to available information.

Court documents state that Najibullah entered a guilty plea on April 25, 2025, admitting to hostage-taking offenses and providing material support for terrorist acts that led to fatalities.

“Those who harm Americans and engage in acts of terrorism will be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long it takes,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“As a Taliban commander, Najibullah supported brutal terrorist attacks that killed American servicemembers and orchestrated the savage hostage-taking of an American journalist and Afghan civilians. Today’s sentence delivers justice for the victims and their families.”

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