A former Taliban commander has been sentenced to 42 years in prison in the United States for his role in deadly attacks that killed three American soldiers and for participating in the kidnapping of a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
Haji Najibullah was handed the sentence by a federal court in Manhattan after pleading guilty in April 2025 to providing material support for terrorism and conspiring to take hostages.
The sentencing hearing featured emotional testimony from journalist David Rohde, who was kidnapped along with a fellow reporter and a driver in Afghanistan in 2008. Rohde told the court that Najibullah played a direct role in the abduction and criticised him for failing to fully accept responsibility for his actions.
Rohde, now a national security reporter for MSNBC, said he had agreed to what he believed would be an interview with Najibullah, only to be ambushed and taken hostage. He and the two other captives were held for more than seven months before escaping from a Taliban controlled compound in Pakistan.
During the proceedings, Najibullah admitted that he supplied weapons and other support to the Taliban between 2007 and 2009, knowing they would be used in attacks against US forces in Afghanistan. Prosecutors said fighters under his command were involved in an attack that resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers.
Speaking through an interpreter, Najibullah apologised to Rohde and his family, expressing regret for his role in the kidnapping.
Rohde, however, told the court that the suffering experienced by him and his family was overshadowed by the loss of the three US soldiers killed in Taliban attacks linked to Najibullah’s network. He described hostage taking as a cruel crime that leaves families helpless while trying to save their loved ones.
Judge Katherine Polk Failla declined to impose a life sentence despite federal guidelines recommending it. She cited Najibullah’s guilty plea, which spared victims from a lengthy trial, and noted that he had endured harsh prison conditions for several years. However, she rejected most arguments for leniency presented by the defense and ruled that his actions warranted a lengthy prison term.
Following the verdict, US officials said the sentence demonstrates that individuals responsible for harming Americans and supporting terrorism will be pursued and brought to justice regardless of how much time has passed.
