NEW YORK: A US court in New York has sentenced former Taliban commander Haji Najibullah to 42 years in prison for the 2008 kidnapping of American journalist David Rohde and his two companions.
Federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday that Najibullah played a direct role in the abduction of Rohde, his Afghan interpreter and their driver.
According to court documents, the three men were held captive for more than seven months at various locations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The kidnappers demanded ransom payments and the release of several Taliban prisoners in exchange for the hostages’ freedom.
Prosecutors said the captives were forced to record “proof-of-life” videos during their detention. In the recordings, Taliban fighters threatened them while carrying weapons.
US authorities said Najibullah served as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Wardak province in 2007 and was also involved in attacks against U.S. forces.
At the time of the kidnapping, Rohde was working for the The New York Times.
Rohde and his interpreter eventually escaped after more than seven months in captivity.
According to reports, Ukrainian authorities arrested Najibullah in October 2020. He was later extradited to the United States to stand trial.
The case stemmed from one of the most high-profile kidnappings of a foreign journalist during the war in Afghanistan.
