Two friends of accused Boston bomber Dzokhar Tsarnaev were indicted Thursday on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice for allegedly trying to throw away a backpack full of fireworks and a laptopfrom Tsarnaev’s room before it was searched by the police, but a lawyer for one of the men insists his client is innocen.
Robert G. Stahl, who is representing Dias Kadyrbayev, issued a statement after the indictment that said his client is a “typical young, foreign college student who loves America” and “did not obstruct justice and did not knowingly or intentionally take evidence from Dzohkhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room.”
Read Stahl’s full statement below:
“While Dias’s Indictment was not unexpected, it was certainly disappointing. As I said in the beginning of this case, Dias Kadyrbayev did not obstruct justice and did not knowingly or intentionally take evidence from Dzohkhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room.
My young client, like all of Dzokhar’s friends at U-Mass, Dartmouth, was shocked and horrified to learn that someone he knew was involved in the terrible Marathon bombing. Even though he was literally stunned and in fear, and even though he is from a country where the police are routinely distrusted, from the moment the authorities approached him he has fully cooperated.
Dias is a typical young, foreign college student who loves America and has worked hard to be accepted in the community. He cooperated fully with the FBI and answered their questions for almost 12 hours over two days without an attorney or Consular official present. Dias and the others voluntarily turned over the computer from Tsarnaev’s room and told the FBI where they could find the backpack that contained a packet of fireworks. The FBI recovered all of the items because of Dias’s complete cooperation with their investigation.
Dias and his family are deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred and their thoughts and prayers continue to be with those injured and killed, and their families.
Despite the rush to judgment and, now, the present charges, Dias trusts the American justice system and looks forward to proving his innocence at trial.”
