US sentences ex-Taliban commander to 42 years in prison for hostage taking

New York court sentences Haji Najibullah for taking American journalist hostage, attacking US servicemembers

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Former Taliban commander Haji Najibullah appears on charges related to murdering three US troops in Afghanistan in 2008 during a court hearing in New York, October 15, 2021, in this courtroom sketch. PHOTO: REUTERS

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A United States court on Tuesday sentenced a former Taliban commander to 42 years in prison and five years of supervised release for his alleged role in taking of hostages, including one American journalist.

A New York court handed down the sentence to 50-year-old Haji Najibullah for “his role in the hostage taking of an American journalist and two Afghan nationals in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2008 and 2009,” a court document read.

He was also sentenced for his leadership of Taliban fighters who carried out attacks on US servicemembers in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009, resulting in the deaths of American soldiers.

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On April 25, 2025, Najibullah pleaded guilty to hostage taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, the document said.

“Those who harm Americans and engage in acts of terrorism will be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long it takes,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, according to the document.

“As a Taliban commander, Najibullah supported brutal terrorist attacks that killed American servicemembers and orchestrated the savage hostage-taking of an American journalist and Afghan civilians. Today’s sentence delivers justice for the victims and their families.”