Jahar: Short Film Review

An Alternative View of the Alleged Marathon Bomber. Loyalty or Treachery? Did he do it?


On Saturday, April 23, 2016 I attended the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City to see the 13 minute student film entitled, "Jahar" at the Bow Tie Cinema in the neighborhood of Chelsea. 
TribecaFilm.com/filmguide/jahar-2016 

"In the days after the Boston Marathon bombing, a young man must come to terms with the fact that one of his friends is involved," reads the blurb on the Film Fest schedule. The director, Henry Hayes, was born and raised in Cambridge, MA. He moved to New York in 2011 to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He now lives in Brooklyn and works as a commercial editor.

The screenwriters were Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Henry Hayes. The cast was only four actors: Devante Lawrence, Andre Ozim, Andrew Raia, and Alberto Rosende.

The film starts out with the young men watching the TV news, which is announcing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan as the Boston Marathon bombers. Then it cuts to "Two Years Earlier." Jahar is portrayed as a short, dorky white guy, even though in reality he is over 6 feet tall. He is shown in high school being ridiculed. "What kind of name is Dzhokhar?"

His friend defends him, saying, "His name is Jahar." His friends, two black and one white, treat Jahar in an inclusive, yet condescending way. "That's my nigga right there," says "Mo" as they hang out in the basketball court smoking blunts. "That's my boy, my brother." They also call him "Jizz," which Jahar was clearly not comfortable about. Their conversation is vacuous.

In Jahar's mother's version of events, Tamerlan told her he was on his way to pick up Jahar from school, when the police started chasing them. In this film version of events, Jahar gets a call on his cell phone after his friends asked him for a ride somewhere. "Sorry, I got to go help my brother," he says. "Help him with what?" they ask. "I don't know," Jahar answers and leaves.

Without any transition, the film cuts to the three friends minus Jahar standing back on the basketball court in communal shock, contemplating what had just happened.
Only Jahar's friend, "Mo" was loyal. "Who was the one who drove us all home that night after the party? Eight drunk guys and one in the trunk and he was able to get us past the police. We know him," Mo insisted. The "Mo" character is supposed to be the screenwriter, Zolan.

But the other friend says, "I don't know man. Do we really know him?"

"That's our boy, that's our nigga," Mo continues to insist.

The film ends with the FBI asking Mo, "What was he like?"

After the film, native New Yorker Karina asked the director and artists if deep down inside they may think he's innocent? Any time in their mind did they ever think he was framed?

"They both said no they do not think he's framed, they believe he's guilty, and both looked at me like I had 10 heads. Rude, and clearly ignorant, making a film without any real research into the case," Kitty told NT. "I'm pissed at the producers who are so arrogant... They loving the success of this while their "friend" is on death row for something he didn't do."

Whether he was innocent or guilty, one would expect more personal concern from true friends. It was a very disappointing reaction, since the movie was actually quite moving regarding the one friend's defense of Jahar. It made me think a lot about loyalty.

Clearly, these young men were capitalizing off the fact that they knew the Boston Bomber in high school, without engaging in any character development or political challenge. The film seems quickly thrown together rather than deeply thought out. It only made the festival due to the high profile content. The line-up for the Question and Answer session had more participation from the makers of Jahar than from any other producers of short films, which added to my impression that the film was receiving special treatment. Zolan has now been given a job writing for the Boston Globe, at a time when many writers have been laid off.
"Seems strange that he would be right in with the propaganda media. Maybe that's the deal they offered him if he went along with the official narrative. The look on the actors face playing him at end made you think he got scared at that point," Karina told NT.

It was, on one hand, somewhat daring to stir up sympathy for the accused. However, the filmmakers' demeanor afterwards just made me think of traitors. Because if your friend truly did something like that, you would want to ask him why. Or if you believed he was innocent you would stand by that. The film gave the impression of some students that knew him superficially and decided to make themselves popular by using him.

"What was their point of making the film? For a different perspective? Why do they care about portraying a different perspective if they believe he's guilty? More questions than answers for me," said Nicole, who had driven from Vermont to see the film.

Marathon Bombing Case: They Forgave the killer of 9 in Charleston, but not Dzhokhar.

On Wednesday, June 24, 2015, Dzhokhar "Jahar" Tsarnaev finally spoke.

"I would like to begin in the name of Allah, the exalted and glorious, the most gracious, the most merciful, "Allah" among the most beautiful names. Any act that does not begin in the name of God is separate from goodness."

The victims, the jury, nobody was expecting this religious sermon.

"He did crack up and pause a few times, it sounded like he was trying to compose himself," stated a courtroom observer.

Before thanking his attorneys, he invoked the name of Muhammed. He thanked those who testified on his behalf, he thanked the jury for their service, and even the Court.

"The Prophet Muhammed, peace and blessings be upon him, said that if you do not show mercy to Allah's creation, then Allah will not have mercy on you, so I'd like to apologize now to the victims, to the survivors. Now, I am sorry for the lives that I've taken, for the suffering that I've caused you, for the damage that I've done. Irreparable damage."

What he said satisfied neither the victims nor those who continue to believe that he was framed.

"Immediately after the bombing, which I am guilty of - if there's any lingering doubt about that, let there be no more. I did do it, along with my brother."

Those who were hoping he would 'do a Tarek Mehanna' political speech got instead a speech on forgiveness that sounded at once sincere yet highly scripted, but answered nobody's questions like why? or how?

"Now, I am a Muslim. My religion is Islam. The God I worship, besides whom there is no other God, is Allah. And I prayed to Allah to bestow his mercy upon the deceased, those affected in the bombing, and their families. Allah says in the Quran that with every hardship is relief. I pray for your relief, for your healing, for your well-being, for your strength. I ask Allah to have mercy upon me and my brother and my family. I ask Allah to bestow his mercy upon those present here today. And Allah knows best those deserving of His mercy."

This convoluted sort of apology left everyone scratching their heads.

Why would he wait until AFTER he was found guilty and sentenced to death to apologize? And why, how, what the heck - and how is it that he is suddenly speaking with a thick Arabian accent? Not a Russian accent. He sounded Middle Eastern, two different observers told New Trend. It really was him, they said, but strangely out of character. He used to talk like "Yo what's up."

The most bizarre part of it is that not only Carmen Ortiz the lead prosecutor, but Judge O'Toole made public statements condemning Jahar's interpretation of his own religion.

"You did it on purpose... It is tragic, for your victims and now for you, surely someone who believes God smiles on and rewards the killing of innocents believes in a cruel god. This is not and cannot be the god of Islam," said the judge right before condemning Jahar to death. So is he being executed for murder or for a politically incorrect interpretation of Islam?

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, whose office prosecuted Tsarnaev, said she was "struck more by what he didn't say.

"He didn't renounce terrorism, he didn't renounce violent extremism, and he couched his comments in line with Allah and Allah's view, which gave it a religious tone, and there was nothing...about this crime that was Islam-associated."

Tsarnaev adhered to a radicalized version of Islam was not in line with the faith's "peaceful and loving" roots, Ortiz explained.

"The youth will not stay quiet while America is killing the innocent Muslims. As my sons there will be many many many inshallah! And I will die with my love towards them," texted Jahar's mother to a supporter.

"Your country kills the brothers and sisters and those good hearted and beautiful souls like my sons who love their ummah cannot see the conspiracies of your government towards our ummah and things like that happen! For example if someone kills my brother or my sister I will not blink and destroy whoever killed them - why?? Because I love them...Everything is by Allah's will... Allah knows the intention and the purity of it and what was the intention for!" concluded Jahar's mother.

I am worried that they are going to execute Jahar before we learn the true story. His statement created as many questions as it answered. This is quite a decade, quite a century, already. However, Jahar has been moved to a prison in Florence, Colorado. It is nearby but not the same place where Imam Jamil al-Amin is being held in Supermax.

Was the Boston Bombing case a Show Trial?:

Eyewitness Account: Questions that were not asked.

http://newtrendmag.org/ntma1597.htm


On the morning of the verdict, April 8, 2015 in front of the courthouse, there were old ladies passing out anti-death penalty literature based on Roman Catholicism; Veterans for Peace were there with their white flag holding signs about "blowback," and later on an Islamophobe with his face covered with an American flag held a sign saying,""Dzokhar Tsarnaev was not a follower. He is just another Islamic terrorist declaring war against (kafirs mean infidels) Non-Muslims people. He is just trying to please his god (Satan)" and something about "Islamofascism."

There were many many intimidating looking police and Homeland Security vehicles preventing any traffic in front of the courthouse, guards, police dogs and many cameramen.

As expected, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found guilty. He did not react with any emotion. He seemed to be "not there," leading many to speculate that he had been heavily drugged. Throughout the trial, his eyes looked kind of strange.

It was still astonishing that he was found guilty of all 30 charges, including the bomb that his brother is said to have placed down, and the death of the police officer that was already determined to be shot by "friendly fire" during the chaos at Watertown. He was also found guilty of killing the MIT police officer even though investigators only claim to have found his brother's fingerprints on the gun. The entire trial was carefully controlled, with defense lawyers looking to the judge for permission to speak, witnesses looking to the CIA and FBI officers for cues.

The big elephant in the room was all the questions that were not allowed to be asked. The defense was not allowed to ask whether Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was even armed when officers pumped more than 100 bullets into the boat where he was hiding.There is definitely some huge cover-up going on, something that the government does not want coming out! It was a show trial.

"The prosecution and the defense have been doing a startling job. They are amazing. I've covered a lot of trials and it's absolutely the best tried trial I've ever seen in my life. The choice of witnesses ... the timing of the prosecution's case, was unbelievably good," commented Russian author Masha Gesser. "But structurally it's not the role of the American justice system to find the truth. The American justice system administers punishment. It does not conduct inquests and it does not find facts."

The FBI's failure to protect the public "is either grounds for indicting the Bureau for incompetence, or it is an indication that these brothers were, like thousands of others, caught up in some web of provocation, either as plot infiltrators or informants," writes Russ Baker.

Those who have been paying attention are still scratching their heads at all the things that made no sense, like why Tsarnaev would calmly spend several minutes in the store deciding which snacks to buy, while his brother held a man at gunpoint in a hijacked vehicle. Or why they thought it would be better to hijack a car when they already had a car. Or why they would kill a cop in order to get his gun, when they already had a gun.

A skeptic I talked to at the courthouse speculated that the Mossad, whose Israeli agents had immediately swooped into Boston to capitalize on the post-bombing situation, had created the diversion by killing the officer in order to steal classified information from MIT.

"What also doesn't make sense is for the prosecution to omit a chunk of time from that video, which can clearly be observed in the video linked above (as evidence by the timestamp and the cars passing on the upper left corner of the video). There is really no need to edit out any part of the video if everything happened exactly as the prosecution has described it," writes Klaus Marre of whowhatwhy.org.

The prosecutors had justified this video editing as saving the jury's time, but they had not cared about wasting hours and hours of the jury's time listening to irrelevant testimony. Most Americans are not asking these questions. They are debating what the best punishment for the little terrorist should be, based on what would hurt him more. There is a vicious lynch mob mentality that is seething with hate and anti-Muslim prejudice.

If it were really true that Jahar bombed the marathon in retaliation for US war victims, which we know nothing about except from a note that mysteriously appeared three weeks later in the boat where he was captured, then the American people are the ones who should feel the most remorse! Because the American people would thus be morally responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing. Their eyes should be wet with tears of shame for the suffering that they have caused to innocent people, and thanksgiving to God that only four people were killed this time.

Instead, the event has served to create a fascist public mentality, to create support for ongoing killing of Muslims around the world and strip away civil freedoms at home.

Mysterious Boston Trial Begins: Defense Not Defending the Accused

http://newtrendmag.org/ntma1592.htm

The trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev began Wednesday, March 4. If anyone still held out any hope that we were going to get some answers, that the government would now be asked to prove their convoluted story related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, or that Jahar’s lawyers were going to put up a fight, they were brutally disappointed like a slap in the face. I attended opening statements as well as court proceedings the following day and I am as baffled as anyone, for this is the most bizarre criminal trial anyone in history has ever seen.

The prosecution’s opening statement was as expected. It echoed what has already been leaked to the mainstream media, with a few embellishments that sound preposterous. Suddenly now they are saying Jahar’s UMass ID was found on the floor of his Honda Civic, covered in the blood of Officer Collier, the MIT cop who was killed while sitting in his car, as well as his blood covered gloves. Why would any murderer take off the victim’s gloves and then put them in his car? There was so much about the government testimony that begged to be ripped to shreds. Attorney William Weinreb drew upon public prejudice against Islam, calling the defendant  a “holy warrior” whose actions were motivated by a desire to die as a martyr and reach “paradise.”

Defense attorney Judy Clarke then shocked everybody by beginning her opening statement by conceding responsibility for “a series of senseless, horribly misguided acts carried out by two brothers: 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother, 19-year-old Jahar.”

Isn’t a defense attorney’s job to cast doubt on the government’s accusations? We all expected her top priority to be defending her client’s life but saying, “He did it” in the opening statements went above and beyond most people’s expectations. Seems to be a strategy to make the trial go by as fast as possible so they can focus on the sentencing phase, with the presumption that he is assured of a conviction no matter what arguments are presented. The defense did not cross-examine a single government witness.

I searched Jahar’s face for some sign of guilt or innocence but could find no information except that he is resigned to his situation and trying to stay positive. I watched his long, bony white fingers play with a pencil, standing it up on end, holding it upright awhile with one finger at its tip. His eyes remained downcast most of the time, though he occasionally glanced at a speaker. There was one particular cop that he glared at. Chatting with his legal team, he seemed almost too content with their decision, given that neither death nor life in prison seem like particularly good options. The second day, he looked pale and subdued. There is nothing about his demeanor that seems tense, angry, or fearful. One observer described him “like a lost puppy.” Similarly, a schoolteacher and potential juror that didn’t end up getting selected, blogged:

“There was no cloud of evil that floated around him, nothing that marked him as being different from one of my doofy sophomores.” [http://cognoscenti.wbur.org/2015/03/06/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-trial-erin-dionne]

I turn to his family for some kind of insight. Jahar’s Aunt Maret posted on weebly:

“That team of defense was forced on Dzhokhar. Dzhokhar, I know that from my brother Anzor, apparently was REFUSING those lawyers back in May-June of 2013, he told them to go away, that he did not want them (obviously, he did that since he detected that they were not there for his benefit). When the parents raised the issue before Judy Clarke and William Fick for the first time in June 2013, in Makhachkala, during their first visit, that they (the parents) would want to get a private lawyer to defend Dzhokhar, because they knew that public lawyers are government paid lawyers. Fick's (mostly, it was him pressuring this issue through) and Judy's response to that intention of the parents was "there is no way" you can do that and you will be allowed to do that. Fick said if one of the attorneys go, then the whole team goes. So, Judy Clarke and William Fick also were pushed down Dzhokhar's throat by the government. And, this team got Zubeidat somehow under their influence and that is how they worked out their defense strategy, according to which, they are painting Tamerlan as "self-radicalised" mastermind of the crimes and Dzhokhar is a follower. And there, you should see why Dzhokhar would be seeming indifferent during the court proceeding to those, who report from the courthouse. It was mentioned the other day that Dzhokhar felt nauseous on Thursday, would that be side effect, he was having as a result of drugs he was pumped in before that day's court hearing? Because I cannot image Dzhokhar feeling ok and sitting quietly, while Judy Clarke was given that murderous speech, knowing that that kid is totally innocent.”

It appears to me that both defense and prosecution agreed to steer clear of any mention of FBI involvement in the brother’s lives, in exchange for sparing Jahar’s life. Nevertheless, the judge is acting outrageously, constantly interrupting the defense and even at one point inserting his opinion that “there isn’t much evidence” that the accusations against Jahar are not true! How can that be legal? Whose job is it to censure a Federal judge?

Someone in touch with Jahar’s family shared with me several audiotapes of Jahar’s loving mother, which make clear that he comes from an intensely affectionate and deeply religious family. Whatever he did or did not do, he is not the victim of poor upbringing. “I wish you would have known how full of love we all were… how happy we all were…” Tamerlan used to kiss all of his mother’s toes, saying, “This is my paradise!” Jahar would become possessive and demand to massage her other foot insisting that he should be allowed to share in paradise!

According to his mother’s descriptions of her weekly phone calls with her son, Jahar seems to be in a highly elevated state of iman:

“Allah is with us, Allah watches us always… Everything is by Allah’s will. This is another test for us and we are thanking Allah, we never complain and we know that everything Allah does is for our benefit if not in this dunya then in the Hereafter... inshallah we all will rejoin in Paradise… Tell her (his sister Ailina who cannot visit him due to false accusations) to be patient and not to cry... whatever Allah’s decision is, that is what we are happy with.”

Interpret it how you will, this the mental state of the surviving brother. His sister Ailina gets up late at night to pray for all the Believers.

“We need to love each other like one body,” Jahar’s mother Zubeida implores us. 

“Alllah azza wa jal. He knows how his brother loved him and his brother will be waiting for us inshallah by Allah’s will in Hereafter and we will be all together inshallah.”

Tsarnaev Friend Changes Plea to “Guilty”

http://newtrendmag.org/ntma1587.htm

Khairullozhon Matanov, 25 year old Kyrgyzstani immigrant and friend of the deceased Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who is accused of the Boston Marathon bombings, told me during a recent prison visit that he decided to plead guilty to concealing evidence and lying to the FBI, even though he is absolutely innocent. The government is now only going to be asking for him to serve 2 1/2 years due to changing his plea to guilty, though the judge could possibly give him an even shorter sentence. 

However, the Patriot Ledger reported that under the new charge, he would face “no more than five to eight years in prison, depending on whether the offense is considered to involve terrorism.” So it sounds like the situation is very much hanging in the balance.

Matanov’s attorney requested a hearing earlier this month after Matanov agreed to be interrogated by the government; however, he doesn’t have any incriminating information to give.

Matanov was looking at 15 years for deleting files off his computer (all of which were public information) and for downplaying his relationship with the Tsarnaev brothers, even though he actually went to the police station first thing in the morning to identify them after the FBI put their photo on the TV, thinking he was doing his duty by telling them, “I don’t think they did it but I know who they are.” 

Prosecutors said Matanov called Tamerlan Tsarnaev about 40 minutes after the bombings and invited him to dinner. He is accused of lying to the FBI about whether he met them at the restaurant or whether he drove them there. He is guilty of knowing the brothers, liking them, and even worshiping at the same mosque. He is not accused of knowing anything about the bombs.

Matanov was originally facing 40 years of imprisonment due to “suspicious” wire transfers of money, some of which were made using aliases, which the FBI insinuated could have been terror related. He had wired money to people in many different countries. However, the feds backed off that charge pretty quickly after it was shown that Matanov could account for all of these money transfers, most of which were sent to needy relatives.

The God-loving kid worked 80 hours a week driving a cab in order to pay for his father’s heart surgery as well as his family’s other living expenses. It would be hard to find a more decent human being than this brother. 

Matanov was a subject of dirty journalist Michelle McPhee, who wrote about him and Tamerlan in a seriously ridiculous smear piece called “Inside the Mind of a Killer.” McPhee has been criticized repeatedly for writing apparently bogus news articles calculated to sway the trial against the accused. For example, she was the source of the “note in the boat” based on “anonymous law enforcement” statements. (The government is NOT going to use the boat confession as part of their case, as it is not legally considered as admissible evidence). 

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s attorneys attempted repeatedly to convince Judge O’Toole to find out which FBI agents have been talking to the press, circumventing legal procedure. O’Toole continues to say he’s “concerned” about media links but does nothing about it. 

The judge in Matanov’s case, Judge William Young, however, has a reputation for being tough on media leaks. Matanov filed a motion last month regarding media leaks and Young responded by demanding a list from both the defense and prosecution of anyone who had ever seen the FBI transcript that mysteriously appeared online, or any other documents related to the case. This may be the reason that the government is suddenly willing to negotiate.

Unfortunately, the government put Matanov’s lawyer under a lot of pressure, so in order to get this plea deal he now has to file a motion to withdraw the motion regarding leaks to the media. This is very disappointing. That information about the government agent who is making up stories for the media, is pretty darn important and Young is the only judge who might find out. But I guess Khair has to do what he has to do. 

He said of the government prosecutors:  "They are very powerful people." 

The issue of whether he will be deported after time served is undecided.

Matanov has many loving supporters who write to him. In a letter to a supporter, which was circulated on Facebook, he stated: "I know you guys support me, and I always claim I am innocent. I still say I am innocent, but in this tough environment I can't imagine getting a fair trial so that is why I am accepting a plea deal. I hope you guys support me and I thank you for everything you guys have done, for your support. I mean it is unimaginable good to get tonnes of support from people I have never met."

The young man has received many letters begging him not to testify negatively against Jahar and advising him not to drop the media leaks issue. It is not clear if all these pending issues played a role or not, but on January 24, 2015 it was announced that Judge Young moved the hearing regarding the potential plea deal to February 25, 2015. 

Matanov’s lawyer, Paul Glickman, would not comment when asked if the expected guilty plea means Matanov has an agreement with prosecutors and plans to testify against the only surviving brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, at his trial. Matanov assured supporters that he would not. 

Art Exhibit Questions Boston Marathon Bombing Scenario

 TMO 

 

The author standing next to a  on display at Black Indian Inn in Dorchester, MA. Photo by David Barkley.

The Boston Chapter of The Jericho Movement recently held an event at the Black Indian Inn art gallery, entitled ‘Artistic Hospitality in the Hood.’ The event featured a film about Abu Mumia Jamal, an African American convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.

 

This event coincided with an exhibit questioning the official story in the Boston Marathon bombing that took place in April 2013. To me, the most immediately noticeable panel of the display shows a picture of the accused Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s face coming out of the darkness with the words, “I’m not asking for mercy, I’m asking for justice,” positioned next to it. The display awakens the part of the mind that questions official details about a crime scene and allows a “shadow of a doubt” to penetrate the consciousness.

 

The panels on display in this exhibit were the same panels were held by protesters in front of Boston’s federal courthouse on October 20, 2014. Among those present that day was Elena Teyer, mother in law of Ibrahim Todashev, who was murdered by a Boston FBI agent in his Florida home in May 2013, while writing a forced confession implicating himself and Tamerlan Tsarnaev in a triple homicide. His confession does not match the actual crime scene. One of the most important panels shows photographs from Todashev’s autopsy.

 

The most terrifying aspect of this young man’s situation while awaiting trial is that despite an endless stream of media content vilifying him and his Islamic religion, we the public have never been allowed to hear him say more than “Not Guilty,” which he said seven times at his arraignment. Not even his sisters are allowed to talk to him without an FBI officer present in the room. The defense is gagged – prevented from saying publicly that their client is innocent! Meanwhile, the media has not been stopped from airing highly inflammatory stories about him.

 

“Meet Jahar…” reads a statement on the most prominent poster of the exhibit. It shows the boy’s downcast face as he was captured in the boat after being shot multiple times by police despite being unarmed. One thing is clear in the face of this 19-year-old in this most terrifying of circumstances: he looks alarmingly handsome, calm, and resolved. It is rumored that he is ready to accept death penalty before he will plead guilty for a crime he did not commit. He is placing his fate in the hands of Allah.

Nearby, we see the innocent boy on a happier day with a carnation in his lapel. The public has never before been exposed to the image of him with a flower! We learn that this “terrorist” sounds like the kid we wish we could say was our son.

 

Panel on display depicting the scene of the Boston Marathon Bombing. Photo by David Barkley.

Crowning the display is a collection of photos of young men who are currently being held in solitary confinement, basically because they knew the Tsarnaevs.

Many of the panels discuss the logistics of what happened when the first and second bombs went off. One poster claims to show photographic evidence that “Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was not even standing at the site of the 2nd bomb. He was next door at Atlantic Fish Restaurant.”

 

One section of the display concentrates on the “bomb squad practice” that was going on at the same time as the actual bombs, and official media assurances that these explosions were only a “training exercise.” We see bomb sniffing dogs at the finish line, snipers on the roof wearing protective gear, and a tweet from the Boston Globe that reads, “Officials: There will be a controlled explosion opposite the library within one minute as part of bomb squad activities.”

 

Three panels focus on the issue of “the backpack.” Photographic evidence clearly demonstrates that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev did not have any kind of pressure cooker or anything heavy in his light colored backpack. The exploded backpack shown in the media bears close resemblance to that worn by men who are believed to be Craft International employees, who were photographed standing around with heavy black backpacks near the time of the blasts.

 

An additional panel exhibits conflicting accounts of what happened that night when the brothers were on the run. Early media reports said they had robbed a 7-11. Surveillance photos show they just bought snacks. Similar discrepancies exist regarding the story about the shooting of MIT police officer Sean Collier. Early police reports stated they were looking for a dark skinned male. Tsarnaev was first accused of this cop killing a few weeks later at his grand jury hearing. Another poster shows multiple images of the unconstitutional behavior of police raiding homes in Watertown, Massachusetts.

 

The display raises more questions than it answers, but it is not the citizens’ job to prove anyone’s innocence. It is the government’s job to establish guilt of the accused, “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Meanwhile, we watch and wait.

Finally, we see him!!!

Dzhokhar (Jahar) Tsarnaev’s last pre-trial hearing took place Thursday, December 18 at 10am. Drone footage shows him being brought into the courthouse around 6am wearing shackles and an orange jumpsuit. He looked thin and seemed physically weak. The courthouse entranceway was a zoo, with a huge crowd of reporters, Homeland Security, FBI, police and protesters even before 8am. The massive audience filled the courtroom, plus two overflow courtrooms and the jury assembly hall, where the proceedings were shown on livestream video. About a dozen people identifying as victims of the Boston Marathon bombings also attended. Those watching on video were able to hear the judge clearly and see the defendant’s face while those experiencing the hearing live saw only his back.

Jahar sported wild, unkempt curly hair that was almost an afro, standing many inches above his head. He has grown a short beard. His eyes were downcast most of the time. He touched his face and nose a lot. His feet remained in shackles, while he sat in a relaxed slouch with his knees open throughout the 25 minute hearing. His facial expression seemed a bit weird and befuddled - quite intense yet not quite there - perhaps a side effect of being kept in isolation for over a year. He seemed almost disoriented, but maybe he was just exhausted from being hauled out of bed in the middle of the night. A supporter later asked his mother if he was taking medication and was told no, he won’t even take aspirin for a headache. He was wearing a black sweater over a white button-down shirt and slacks for court.

Judge O’Toole asked Jahar whether he had voluntarily chosen not to be present for any of the previous hearings; whether he had been kept up to date on the proceedings; and if he was happy with his representation. Jahar answered, “Yes, sir” to the first two questions and “pretty much,” or “very much” to the last question. This is the first time the public had heard his voice since he pled “Not Guilty” in 2013. The rest of the hearing was nothing special, just going over the motions. Judy Clarke patted him on the back a few times. Until…

As Jahar was handcuffed and taken out of the courtroom after the hearing, a woman in the courtroom started yelling loudly in Russian: “There are many people here supporting you. We are praying for you. We love you. We know you are innocent! Stay strong, my son!”

Onlookers report that he heard these words and smiled, although he did not turn around.

“I'm pretty sure his lawyers were not happy! Lol! I saw Miriam Conrad's face was like a wtf moment ... But I can tell Jahar was relieved. Jahar appreciates It,” stated an onlooker.

As the US Marshalls escorted her out, Elena shouted in English, “Stop killing innocent people! Stop killing innocent boys!”

Elena Teyer, US veteran and the mother of Ibrahim Todashev’s widow, then suddenly gave an impromptu press conference to hoards of reporters for the next one and half hours outside. Thank God! It worked out very beautifully that way because of the gag order that prevents Jahar’s lawyers from even stating that their client is innocent in public. Even the prosecutors made no statement to the press. Elena passionately defended Jahar’s innocence and all his friends. She decried all of the lives that have been destroyed because of FBI lies and games.

The ongoing arguments between the defense and prosecution are that the defense wants a “continuance” - in other words, more time to prepare. The government is demanding (and I would say bullying) the defense to provide detailed information about witnesses, even though it has been made clear that the witnesses are feeing too intimidated.

About 8 protesters held up placards after the hearing. About half were from out of state while the rest were local. One sign read: “Got proof? Innocent until proven guilty.”

There was a moment where a Bostonian named Marc who had lost half of one leg in the Boston Marathon bombing, waved his empty pant leg at the demonstrators. “We all wished we could have talked to him longer. He said something about what was found in the dorm room and I said have you never played with fireworks? We have to make sure we got the right guy!! It’s important. He reportedly told me to get a job LOL,” said a local supporter.

see video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClmT70PfZRI

What was most astonishing about this hearing is that the government continues to waste the public’s time by insisting that a certain Ms. Vogelbruck be denied as a witness, because as a social worker she has interviewed a lot of people who ever knew the Tsarnaev family. Weinreb argued with his familiar smirk that he needs to know what she might say, in order that he could come up with an appropriate comeback.The government isn’t playing fair.

This is a government prosecution that was able to feed HBO and the History Channel all the statements they wanted to make, extra legal. I’d look into the government cable TV link.

The ongoing “live dispute” pertains to the list of witnesses who might testify as character witnesses in the event of a Guilty decision.

Jahar seems resigned as a noble Chechen would be, to the fate of Allah.

He absolutely refuses to plead guilty for a crime he did not commit.

Tsarnaeva Women in the Spotlight

TMO 

On August 27, the Boston Herald came out with the astonishing news headline: “Tsarnaev’s sister arrested, accused of making bomb threat.” Since then, this unfortunate piece of gossip – which turned out to be totally untrue – has made it into living room conversation around America.

The media stories claim that Jahar’s elder sister Ailina has a boyfriend called ‘George’ and that she made a ‘bomb threat’ towards his ex.

“She made phone threats against another female saying, ‘I know people who can go over there and put a bomb on you,’” New York City police Lt. Paul Ng reportedly told the NY Post. 

Ailina’s husband, formerly known as Jorge, converted to Islam and is now called Ibrahim. And Ailina never made any bomb threat, explained Anne a friend of the family. This situation happened because of a custody dispute between Ailina’s husband and his ex-girlfriend, with whom he had a child.  Ailina and Ibrahim have two children together, Imani and Aamir. Ibrahim recently filed for custody of the child he had in his previous relationship. As a result, the ex-girlfriend retaliated.

The ex girlfriend of Ibrahim made up the allegation that Ailina made a bomb threat in an apparent attempt to disqualify Ailina as stepmother. This is not the first time she has targeted Ailina. She has, in the past, made threatening phone calls to Ailina.

“Her boyfriend’s crazy ex is extremely jealous. She got mad at Ali and called the police and said Ali threatened her with a bomb. Or more specifically knowing someone that would come and bomb her. Ali never said that. She can prove it because all of her communication is monitored. So the detective let her go. He said he knew she wasn’t a terrorist,” Anne told the Muslim Observer. 

“This woman making false accusations is Ailina’s husband’s ex girlfriend with whom he shares a child together before Ailina. She is upset because Ibrahim filed for custody, and this girl doesn’t like the fact he moved on and has 2 beautiful children with Ailina! So she’s trying to get Ailina arrested thinking she can get him back or whatever in her twisted head! She told Ailina ‘I’ll show you who I am.’ Then Ailina goes to police and they lock her up… Ailina never threatened this girl & I pray from the information the government has like the texts in her phone where this girl is harassing Ailina is enough proof to turn the tables and get her arrested!!!!!” commented another family friend, Beth.

Ailina is due in court on September 30 to answer the harassment complaint.

Ailina Tsarnaeva was also targeted with a bizarre counterfeit money issue. She had no idea the bill was fake. She paid with a 20 at a store. At the end of the night, they were counting the money and then using the time and the license plate from the video they charged her because it was her car. Since she was already on probation because of this counterfeit money issue that she had no knowledge about, these recent and reportedly bogus harassment charges could harm her a lot. Please pray for her.

Another fake news report that came out this week was that Tamerlan’s widow, Karima Tsarnaeva, maiden name Katherine Russell, had remarried and had a baby. Media paparazzi had snapped a photo of her carrying a baby. However, the baby in question is Imani, the daughter of Ailina. Karima is still in mourning over Tamerlan and living with his sisters in New Jersey. She has absolutely not moved on to another man.

Meanwhile, the defense attorneys for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are proving that they are serious about their jobs. They have filed several motions against the government, one of which, dated August 29, 2014, states that “witnesses are too intimidated to talk to us about our client or about his brother Tamerlan, also, for example, are too intimidated to tell us why. But it is undeniable that the period between the defendant’s arrest on April 19, 2013 and the present has been marked by a succession of highly-publicized arrests, deportations, federal criminal prosecutions, and even one killing of former friends and acquaintances of both Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Most of those targeted have been foreign nationals who inevitably fear deportation regardless of whether criminal charges are ever brought or proven against them.”

Defense attorneys are defending their choice of expert witness Edward Bronson, who is advocating for a change of venue given the prejudice of any potential Boston jury. The government has been attacking his character instead of proving him wrong regarding how media leaks have affected public opinion about the suspect long before trial.

Dzhokhar’s defense is also questioning the “reliability” of forensic reports provided by the government, and want more details on how the evidence was collected and analyzed. The defense continues to press for more time to prepare for trial.

Given the “vital importance to the defendant and to the community that any decision to impose the death sentence be, and appear to be, based on reason rather than caprice or emotion,” Gardner v. Florida, 430 U.S. 349, 357 (1977), it would be constitutionally intolerable to adhere to any trial schedule that would allow time for only the government’s side to be fully heard,” reads a motion filed August 29, 2014.

Huge Sentences for non-Violent association with Boston Bombing Suspect

Dias Kadyrbayev Offers Plea: Helpless Muslims with poor Legal Support
http://newtrendmag.org/ntma1564.htm


Shocked by his best friend, Azamat Tazhayakov's trial outcome, and with a September 8 trial date fast approaching, Dias Kadyrbayev, who is being held in solitary confinement, has decided to accept a plea bargain, acknowledging that "Boston has already decided on guilt."

David Frank reported in Mass Lawyers Weekly, "Kadyrbayev's New Jersey lawyer, Robert Stahl, confirms that his client will indeed change his plea. Although Stahl declined to comment on the particulars of the deal until after the hearing, it is likely that the parties have signed some type of written agreement laying out the terms of the plea. The agreement will then be submitted to Woodlock for his approval."

The UMass-Dartmouth classmate of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pled guilty on August 21 to conspiracy and obstruction of justice, the sentence for which is 25 years. According to the plea deal, Dias will serve not more than 7 years for disposing of some fireworks that had no connection to the bombing. US Attorney Stephanie Siegmann is asking for all seven years.

"You understand that you're pleading guilty to two charges... those are serious federal charges," Woodlock said, adding that Dias is giving up any and all rights to a full trial.

Dias said, "Yes sir" to the judge that he's giving up his right to challenge the evidence against him.

In agreeing to the plea deal, Dias agreed to be deported after time served. The judge did not make an immediate decision regarding accepting or rejecting the plea bargain.

Dias decided to admit to hiding both Jahar's laptop and backpack. Azamat was found not guilty regarding bringing home the laptop. He was however found guilty of throwing away the backpack despite claims that Dias was the one who tossed it.

"So, today he formally accepted full responsibility for his actions and sincerely apologizes," said defense Attorney Stahl. "Dias now understands he never should have gone to the dorm room... never should have taken any items from that room."

Azamat is to be sentenced Oct. 16. Dias is set to be sentenced Nov. 18.

Dias' father, Murat Kadyrbayav as well as his brother Ablaikhan Ismagulov are in town for the proceedings

Dias Kadyrbayev Agrees to Deportation: Judge Orders Govt to Reveal Expert Witness Positions: Tamerlan’s Widow Living in NJ with Jahar’s Sisters

TMO 

The UMass-

Dartmouth classmate of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pled guilty on August 21, 2014 to conspiracy and obstruction of justice, the sentence for which is 25 years. In a proposed plea bargain, which the judge has not yet ruled on, Dias will serve not more than 7 years for disposing of some fireworks that had no connection to the bombing. US Attorney Stephanie Siegmann is asking for all seven years. Dias, a foreign student from Khazakstan, agreed to be deported after time served. Dias decided to admit to hiding both Jahar’s laptop and backpack.

“You understand that you’re pleading guilty to two charges… those are serious federal charges,” Judge Woodlock said, adding that Dias is giving up any and all rights to a full trial.

Dias said, “Yes sir” to the judge that he’s giving up his right to challenge the evidence against him.

On July 21, 2014, Dias’ former roommate and former cellmate, Azamat Tazhayakov, who pled “Not Guilty” to both counts, was found not guilty by the jury regarding bringing home Jahar’s laptop. He was however found guilty of conspiring to throw away the backpack containing fireworks, despite witness claims that Dias was the one who tossed it. Therefore Dias, who had been pleading innocent based on the argument that he didn’t understand his Miranda rights, realized he was unlikely to get a more favorable outcome to his trial. Dias and Azamat are both being held in solitary confinement.
Azamat, who also faces 25 years, is awaiting sentencing on October 16.

“So, today he formally accepted full responsibility for his actions and sincerely apologizes,” said defense Attorney Stahl in a press conference after the hearing. 

“Dias now understands he never should have gone to the dorm room… never should have taken any items from that room.” Dias is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 18. 

David Frank reported in Mass Lawyers Weekly, “Although Stahl declined to comment on the particulars of the deal until after the hearing, it is likely that the parties have signed some type of written agreement laying out the terms of the plea. The agreement will then be submitted to Woodlock for his approval.”

“It looks like no guarantees and everything is up in the air!” observed Asel, a Canadian supporter from Kyrgyzstan.

Dias’ father, Murat Kadyrbayav as well as Azamat’s younger brother Ablaikhan Ismagulov are in town to attend the ongoing court proceedings. They do not speak English, so they are navigating Boston using an electronic translation device.

Meanwhile the legal proceedings for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are going forward towards his November trial date. On August 18, 2014 Judge George O’Toole ruled at least partially in favor of the defense, ordering that:

“The government made disclosure of affirmative expert discovery summaries pertaining to ballistics, fingerprint, blood, and DNA evidence on June 30, 2014. The defendant complains that the disclosure does not adequately identify what expert testimony the government “intends to use . . . during its case-in-chief at trial,” as required by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16(a)(1)(G). After review of the index and summaries produced by the government, I agree and the motion (dkt. no. 440) is GRANTED to the extent that the government must identify the expert witnesses it presently intends to call during its case-in-chief at trial and provide summaries of their testimonies. Such summaries must meet the requirements set forth in Rule 16(a)(1)(G). To the extent the motion seeks further relief beyond this, the motion is DENIED.”

Until this point, the US had argued that explaining their case to the defense would deny them the right to surprise. They handed over millions of documents but did not clearly state how they came to the conclusion that Tsarnaev committed the bombing based on this evidence. So far the public is relying on the say-so of the FBI regarding guilt.

The defense continues to press the court to shift the trial to DC instead of Boston.

In another development, Katherine Russell, widow of Tamerlan Tsarnaev and their daughter have been spotted by local media living with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s sisters, Aliana and Bella in North Bergen, NJ. All three women are observing hijab. Katherine reportedly stated that she wants her daughter to grow up in a Muslim home. Katherine probably decided to move out of her parents’ home in Rhode Island due to the constant hounding by paparazzi. The three ladies seem to be living a quiet life, WCVB reports.

Katherine’s legal team says they don’t know if she is currently under investigation. The US attorney’s office won’t comment on that. One of her attorneys, Amato DeLuca says her parents and sisters testified before a grand jury investigating the bombings last year, but Katherine was not called. The fact that she was not called to testify could mean that she is still being considered as a possible target of prosecution for not going to the police when her husband’s face came on TV.

Katherine gave no comment to reporters who asked if she tipped off Tamerlan or had contact with him once the FBI pictures were made public. Her lawyer says when Russell saw the suspects’ pictures released by the FBI, she didn’t know who they were initially.

Ailina faces a trial in Boston next month on charges of misleading police in counterfeit money investigation in 2010. Bella was charged in New Jersey with marijuana possession and intent to distribute marijuana. Prosecutors say the charges will be dismissed if she completes a first time offender program.

Updates on Jahar's friends

Fallout from Marathon bombing case: Innocents snared and Imprisoned 

Updates on Jahar's friends 
Karin Friedemann
Matanov Commissary Fund Started

An account has been opened for Khairullozhon Matanov's commissary fund. He will need money to buy things like soap, toothpaste and snacks. Elena Teyer, Ibrahim Todashev's mother-in-law, made a donation of $50.

If you would like to deposit money into Khair's commissary fund, just click the link, register and you can enter either his last name or his register number. The facility is Plymouth County Sheriffs Dept. It is very simple. Thank you so much for anything you can do to help this young man, but do not send large amounts of money or else it could be used to deny him access to his government-appointed lawyer.

https://www.accesscorrections.com/index.php 

To write to Mr. Matanov, address letter to:

Khairullozhon Matanov # 65363?, Unit GSE, Room # 107, ?PCCF, ?26 Long Pond Road, ?Plymouth, MA 02360

Matanov Neighbor Speaks Out

"We would always say hi to each other in the hallway or parking lot!" stated Aurora, a woman who lived in the same apartment building as Khair.

"I have to say, he is a kid with a big smile, full of life and very presentable. He's not the average 23 year old guy, very classy person, and cleaned up, very high maintenance. I really hope everything sorts out and this kid gets his life back! We need intelligent people walking on the street, not bums or thugs... He is innocent till proven guilty!"

"I knew him a bit, just hi and hello cause I always worked and so did he, so we barely even saw each other in the building, but he always was friendly and never gave me the impression that he was being watched. He was always happy, a kid!

She also mentioned that Khair's roommate hasn't been seen since Khair's arrest. This is somewhat worrying since all of the other Russian-speaking friends of friends of Jahar or Tamerlan Tsarnaev - even those who didn't even know the Tsarnaevs - have been detained and/or deported from both Massachusetts and Florida.

Bayan Kumiskali to testify at roommate Azamat Tazayhakov's trial

The government plans to call Bayan Kumiskali, the long time (six years) partner of Dias Kadyrbayev, as a witness for the upcoming trial of UMass student Azamat Tazayhakov, who rented a room in their apartment. She received immunity in exchange for her testimony. She was already called in front of the Grand Jury before. The defense once mentioned that Bayan said she had seen cameras and they had recorded their interviews, so her testimony may be helpful to the defense.

Dias and Azamat Separated

Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazayhakov, who have been sharing a cell at the Essex County Jail in Middleton, MA will return to their former separate cells that they were put in when first arrested. Dias is in unit 120a Cell 115 and Aza is unit 120a Cell 110. The judge said in the beginning that they would be separated again closer to trial, as they are being tried separately, so this was expected.

Azamat Defense Proposes Jury Instruction

In a highly creative move, Attorney Nicholas Wooldridge submitted 41 statements that the defense asks to be shown to the jury as additional instruction.

"Since the indictment is not evidence and since it does not purport to prove or even indicate evidence against the defendant, you are to give no weight whatsoever to it. Every defendant begins trial with an absolutely clean slate and without any evidence against him. Remember that those are merely accusations. What matters is the evidence, or lack thereof, that you heard in the trial," reads a document presented by Azamat Tazayhakov's defense team.

"A person has no legal obligation to voluntarily provide information or things requested by investigators," it reads.

Most of the document has a very general tone instructing jurors on the concept of US Law but Request #21 gets so specific to the case it's inflammatory!

"Caution as to Witness Who Received Immunity: "You have heard the testimony of Bayan Kumiskali. She provided evidence under an immunity agreement with the government. Some people in this position are entirely truthful when testifying. Still, you should consider the testimony of this individual with particular caution given that she was given an agreement from the government not to be prosecuted for her role in the alleged conduct. They may have had reason to make up stories or exaggerate what others did because they wanted to help themselves."

This entire document seems like a very unique approach to attempting to publicize the defense point of view. See:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/229013545/Doc-239-Proposed-Jury-Intructions-on-Behalf-of-Azamat-Tazhayakov-060914 

2014-06-15 Sun 08:10:04 cdt 
NewTrendMag.org

Another Tsarnaev Friend Ensnared: Todashev Relative Offers Home

TMO 

On June 4, TMO attended a bail hearing in front of Judge Marianne Bowler for Khairullozhan Matanov, 23. The young man, clad in orange, looked exhausted. He put his hands over his face, leaning on the table briefly before the hearing began. No friends or family were there.

“He was shaking and looked like he had just finished crying,” described court observer, Jill, who attended his first hearing.

Matanov, a friend of Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is facing decades in prison for allegedly lying to the FBI and deleting files off his computer.

Matanov’s “lies” to the FBI were completely unrelated to the bombing. They included things like whether or not he drove the brothers to a restaurant or if they walked in, whether or not he ever watched movies on his computer, and if he had seen the photos of the brothers on TV or heard the the news on the radio, before he personally went to the police to identify them.

The FBI already knew who the brothers were. They had Tamerlan’s house under surveillance. The photos were intended to ensnare friends of the Tsarnaevs into becoming informants. Matanov believed his friends were innocent and had nothing of interest to tell the FBI beyond that he liked to play soccer with them.

As a result, the government is now accusing Matanov of the absurd, including: “hiking up a New Hampshire mountain in order to train like, and praise the mujahideen.”
Matanov’s computer deletions were easily recovered by the authorities after he gave them permission to search his computer – “saving them the time of having to get a search warrant,” Attorney Hayden quipped.

Yet prosecutors say Matanov “obstructed the FBI’s investigation of the bombings and the suspected bombers, and have caused the FBI to expend considerable additional resources during its investigation of the bombings and the suspected bombers.”

The files Matanov deleted were all public information that provided no additional clues whatsoever into the bombing. The FBI has been wasting ungodly amounts of money over the past year to spy on him. A large unmanned aircraft was spotted circling around his home. Several FBI agents were employed full time to follow him around in cars and to keep him in sight at all times around the clock, even following him into a dental office. Matanov’s needless incarceration continues at taxpayer expense.

Former prosecutor Matt Connolly writes in the Milford Daily News: “Matanov was exercising his right not to incriminate himself… All he did was try to distance himself from the Tsarnaevs thinking that his close connection with them would get him into trouble. If you know nothing about the crime being investigated you can’t obstruct it.”

Actually, the government indictment, which claims that Matanov hid his close relationship with the Tsarnaevs from the FBI seriously conflicts with the actual transcripts of police and FBI interviews with the defendant. Matanov’s lawyer made extensive use of these transcripts during the cross-examination of FBI Agent Timothy McElroy to demonstrate that Matanov immediately told the FBI everything he knew.

“I can’t imagine that they did it but I am willing to help,” the transcript reads.

According to his first FBI interview report dated 4/20, Matanov said that he saw and called Tamerlan often. Tamerlan drove Matanov to get his drivers license. Matanov told the FBI he often invited the brothers to Manasawa Restaurant, went to Tamerlan’s house, met his parents and skyped with Tamerlan when he went to Dagestan.

The indictment claims that Matanov told police detective Heslam he didn’t know whether Tamerlan lived with his wife and daughter. However, Heslam never asked about this.
According to the actual transcript, Matanov told the FBI he saw no one in Tamerlan’s apartment other than his wife and daughter.

The indictment accuses him of changing stories regarding whether or not he visited Tamerlan the Wednesday after the bombing. He admitted going to Tamerlan’s house during his first FBI interview. He didn’t withhold any information. The government allegation is referring to comments Matanov made to his roommate as well as a passenger in his taxicab, telling them he had not visited Tamerlan “in a while” and downplaying the relationship. He was not talking to the FBI. The FBI later talked to his roommate.

A Boston Globe editorial states, “Matanov charges look like a vindictive overreach.”

The hearing mainly focused on wire transfers Matanov made overseas. He appears to have been working very hard as a taxi driver to send money to his family. He sent money to 15 people in 6 different countries, sometimes using an alias. He also asked a friend to dispose of some cell phones. His lawyer, Edward Hayden, argued that Matanov was operating an illegal business sending stolen cell phones overseas. Neither the phones nor the wire transfers had anything to do with terrorism.

FBI Agent McElroy testified that he has no knowledge of anything on phones having to do with terrorism.

US prosecutor Scott Garland argued against granting Matanov bail, saying he was a “huge flight risk.” He speaks seven languages and has ties in six different countries. He has no reason to stay in the US – no family, no job, no property. He faces 20 years for obstruction of justice and eight years for each lie. He is likely to be deported after time served. “His only assurance would be his promise,” and the US alleges that he “repeatedly deceived authorities.”

Defense attorney Hayden then requested “voluntary incarceration” of his client, saying “there is no place for him to go.” Judge Bowler said if this changes, they could “revisit the issue.” She then asked if Matanov was ready to be arraigned.

As he stood to hear the charges read against him, Matanov gripped the table. He whimpered, “Not guilty” very quietly and was told to speak up. He repeated “Not guilty” to all the charges against him in a louder voice. The judge than warned Hayden to “be cautious regarding public statements,” alluding to a previous press conference. Matanov’s next hearing is scheduled for July 15 at 2pm. Matanov looked emotionally broken as US Marshalls shackled and handcuffed him.

Upon hearing the news of this “voluntary incarceration,” Elena Teyer, mother-in-law of Ibrahim Todashev, the friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev who was murdered in his home in Florida by Aaron McFarlane, an FBI agent from Boston, was deeply moved. She immediately called Matanov’s attorney to offer her home in Georgia. Teyer has never met Matanov nor the Tsnarnaevs but she told TMO, “We are all family now.” Another supporter in Massachusetts also offered Matanov a home. Attorney Hayden said he would try to find out what the amount of bail would be.