Moussaoui is spared death penalty

Gilps · May 3, 2006

Al-Qaeda plotter Zacarias Moussaoui is to face life in jail, rather than execution, for his role in the 9/11 attacks, a US jury has decided.

The prosecution had called for the death sentence, arguing that "there is no place on this good Earth" for him.

But defence lawyers successfully argued he should face life in prison, rather than martyrdom through execution.

As the verdict was read out, Moussaoui, the only man to be prosecuted over 9/11, shouted: "America, you lost!"

During six weeks of testimony in a Virginia court, prosecutors had argued he withheld information that could have helped prevent the attacks.

Under cross-examination, Moussaoui said he had "no regret, no remorse" and wished it could be 11 September every day.

Moussaoui was arrested on immigration charges at a flight simulator school in Minnesota in August 2001.

Although he was in jail at the time of the attacks, prosecutors say he told lies to allow the plot to continue.

The verdict in favour of life imprisonment was not unaniumous, with only five members from the jury of nine men and three women feeling he ought to be spared execution.

But Moussaoui received the sentence nonetheless because, under US law, all members of a jury must be in agreement where a death sentence is to be handed down.

Jurors did unanimously reject the suggestion - put forward by Moussaoui's defence - that the death penalty would help fulfil the defendant's visions of martyrdom.

Carrie Lemack, whose mother died aboard one of the aircraft hijacked on 9/11, said after the verdict that Moussaoui had got the sentence he deserved.

"He was an al-Qaeda wannabe. He wanted to kill Americans," she said.

May 3, 2006

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