NEW: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Given Death Penalty in Boston Marathon Bombing
DATE: MAY 15,
2015
On Friday a federal jury sentenced
a death penalty to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, for the attacks of the Boston Marathon in
2013, which left 3 dead and 264 wounded people.[i] The sentence against the
young Muslim of Chechen origin and 21 years of age, came to a conclusion after
14 hours of deliberations in which the jury found him guilty of six of the 17
counts susceptible to death penalty.
The same jury convicted Tsarnaev,
on April 8th, for the 30 charges brought against him by the worst attack on US land
since those of September 11, 2001.
While prosecutors described the
young man as a terrorist remorseless being that deserves to die, the defense
painted him as a lost child, manipulated at the time of the facts by his older
brother, Tamerlan, 26, who placed the bombs that exploded almost
simultaneously.
Tamerlan was killed by police two
days later when trying to flee Boston.[ii] During the process, which
lasted over two and a half months, assistant US Attorney Steve Mellin, said the
brothers had the same level of involvement in the incident and recalled the
message that Dzhokhar had painted on the boat that was found days later,
explaining the attack as revenge for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"No remorse, no apology. They
are the words of a terrorist convinced he did the right thing. Felt justified
to kill, maul and seriously injure innocent men, women and children," said
the prosecutor of the case.[iii]
US Secretary of Justice, Loretta
Lynch, said that the death sentence against Tsarnaev was "an appropriate
punishment for this heinous crime" and said to have the "hope that the
completion of the process will allow victims and their families to turn the
page".[iv]
The prosecution presented the
slaughter, in the harrowing testimonies of the victims, some of whom went to
court after prosthetic limb amputations. Presenting pictures of the case, they
talked about the wounds that Tsarnaev caused to hundreds of people.
Defense attorney Judy Clarke, one
of the best specialists in the US capital punishment insisted that the young
was influenced by his older brother, "the true mastermind of the
attacks," and a family without roots, a mentally ill parent and an intimidating
mother”.[v] She added on "in any
case, he will die in prison. I don´t ask you to forgive him. It´s unforgivable.
But I will ask you try to understand him¨ in respect to Tsarnaev, who came to
the States when he was 8 years old and became an US citizen in 2012.
The defense presented 21 mitigating
factors, such as age of Tsarnaev, who was just 19 at the time of the attacks.
In this criminal conviction is evident that even though he was a minor and a
naturalized US citizen, the universal rights of people, should be above the
individual religious beliefs.
Ethical codes stand out for the well-being of society. Rosenstand (2013), presents in her ethical works, the
ideals of ethical relativism, as well as the problems, which in this case, and
with all justice, do not deem reason to the acts taken by Tsarnaev.[vi] Above all ideals and all
religious differences, there is the belief of respect for other human beings.
It would not be justifiable, if Tsarnaev was given the ethical relativism, when
he in his conscious actions did not present any remorse.
[i] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/16/us/explosions-reported-at-site-of-boston-marathon.html?pagewanted=all
[ii] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/19/tamerlan-tsarnaev-dead-boston-bombing-suspect-dies_n_3116056.html
[iii] http://www.wsj.com/articles/boston-marathon-bombing-trial-verdict-jury-sentences-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-to-death-1431718283
[iv] http://www.wsj.com/articles/boston-marathon-bombing-trial-verdict-jury-sentences-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-to-death-1431718283
[v] http://www.wsj.com/articles/boston-marathon-bombing-trial-verdict-jury-sentences-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-to-death-1431718283
[vi] Rosenstand, N. (2013). The
moral of the story: An introduction to ethics (7th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill
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