US News
Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for supporting ISIS-K
A federal judge imposed the maximum penalty following a conviction linked to the Kabul airport bombing.
The short version
- Mohammad Sharifullah was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after being convicted of providing material support to ISIS-K.[ABC News · Fox News]
- A jury previously convicted him on a conspiracy charge but deadlocked on whether the 2021 Kabul airport attack deaths directly resulted from the plot.[ABC News · Fox News]
- Defense attorneys argued Sharifullah was never a leader in the group and made false admissions to investigators due to fear of torture.[ABC News]
Key facts
- Mohammed Sharifullah received a 20-year prison sentence for providing material support to ISIS-K.[ABC News · Fox News]
- Sharifullah was convicted by a federal jury in Virginia on a conspiracy charge in April.[ABC News · Fox News]
- Jurors deadlocked on whether any deaths at the Kabul airport resulted from Sharifullah's conspiracy.[ABC News · Fox News]
- The August 26, 2021, Kabul airport bombing killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 160 Afghans.[ABC News · Fox News]
- Sharifullah admitted during FBI interviews that he scouted a route to Abbey Gate for the suicide bomber.[ABC News · Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- Jurors were unable to reach an agreement on whether Sharifullah bore direct responsibility for the deaths resulting from the Abbey Gate attack.[ABC News · Fox News]
- Defense attorneys asserted that Sharifullah's admissions to federal agents were coerced by the threat of torture in Pakistani custody.[ABC News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.