(Newswire.net — August 8, 2015) — Richmond, Virginia – A Federal jury on Friday night convicted a former Russian military tank commander Irek Hamidullin of planning and leading a Taliban attack on US forces in Afghanistan, AP reported.
Guilty verdicts were read by jury on all 15 counts, including providing material support to terrorism, attempting to destroy US aircraft and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.
Most likely, Hamidullin would get a life in prison in sentencing set for Nov. 6, media reported.
Rob Wagner, Hamidullin’s defense attorney refused say whether the convictions will be appealed and on what ground if do.
The case raised questions whether an enemy soldier captured on a foreign battlefield can be convicted in civilian court of being a terrorist.
According to President Obama’s administration, it can. Some law makers, however, criticized the move. They believed such cases should be handled by military courts.
Defense attorneys unsuccessfully argued that Hamidullin, 55, was essentially a prisoner of war and civil court is not competent for such trial.
“This is war — everyone talks about it, that’s what everyone has heard,” defense attorney Paul Gill said, adding that “Those kinds of conflicts do not and should not come to this court.”
Obama’s administration, however, says this case is different from others.
According to assistant US attorney, prosecutor Michael Gill, stated that federal law protects US soldiers no matter where they are, so Hamidullin violated the US law by confronting US military helicopter in Afganistan. Reportedly, Hamidullin lead the Taliban military group in attack on Afghan border police in Khowst province in 2009. US military helicopter responded to attack spraying bullets and rockets on Hamidullin group killing everyone.
Among the evidences, the Prosecutor presented a video from the helicopter’s combat camera, and Hamidullin’s confession he allegedly tried to fire antiaircraft shoulder launcher at US helicopter. However the weapon misfired.
“He made confident, consistent and corroborated confessions,” the prosecutor said in closing arguments.
Hamidullin was the only survivor among about 30 insurgents. The coalition forces sustained no casualties.