NEW YORK CITY
Haji Najibullah, a/k/a “Najibullah Naim,” a/k/a “Abu Tayeb,” a/k/a “Atiqullah” was indicted for six counts related to the 2008 kidnapping of New York Times journalist David Rohde, and two Afghan nationals.
According to the NYT, Rohde, as well as an Afghan journalist, Tahir Ludin, eventually made a desperate nighttime escape in June 2009 from the second floor of a Taliban compound in North Waziristan, in Pakistan’s tribal areas, that included dropping down a high wall with a rope and making their way to a Pakistani militia post.
(NYT Reporter David Rohde at International Center for Journalist 2009)
The third hostage, Asadullah Mangal, their driver, did not escape with them but managed to flee five weeks later, the NYT reported.
Najibullah, 44, was arrested and transferred to the United States from Ukraine to face the charges in the indictment.
Najibullah has been described as a former Taliban commander.
“Najibullah is charged with taking an American journalist and others hostage in Afghanistan in November 2008. Journalists risk their lives bringing us news from conflict zones, and no matter how much time may pass, our resolve to find and hold accountable those who target and harm them and other Americans will never wane,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “The defendant, like many others before and surely others to come, will now face justice in an American courtroom.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Nearly 12 years ago, the defendant arranged to kidnap at gunpoint an American journalist and two other men, and held them hostage for more than seven months,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss. “The prosecution of Haji Najibullah shows that law enforcement will never stop in our mission to hold accountable those who commit violent crimes against American citizens.”
According to the Indictment:[1]
On or about Nov. 10, 2008, Najibullah and his co-conspirators, armed with machineguns, kidnapped an American journalist (Victim-1) and two Afghan nationals who were assisting Victim-1 (Victim-2 and Victim-3) at gunpoint in Afghanistan.
About five days later, on or about Nov. 15, 2008, Najibullah and his co-conspirators forced the three hostages to hike across the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan, where Najibullah and his co-conspirators detained the hostages.
For the next seven months, Najibullah and his co-conspirators held the hostages captive in Pakistan.
During their captivity, Najibullah and his co-conspirators forced the victims to make numerous calls and videos seeking help.
For example, on or about Nov. 19, 2008, while in Pakistan, Najibullah and a co-conspirator (CC-1) directed Victim-1 to call his wife in New York.
In addition, Najibullah and his co-conspirators made the victims create at least three videos in which they begged for help while surrounded by masked guards armed with machineguns.
In one of the videos, Victim-1 — the American journalist — was forced to beg for his life while a guard pointed a machinegun at Victim-1’s face.
Najibullah, 44, of Afghanistan is charged with hostage-taking, conspiracy to commit hostage-taking, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and two counts of using and possessing a machinegun in furtherance of crimes of violence.
Each of the six counts of the indictment carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Najibullah is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.