Federal Trial of Sayfullo Saipov Begins in Manhattan Court, Death Penalty Sought by Prosecutors

On Monday, the federal trial of Sayfullo Saipov began in Manhattan federal court. Saipov, an Uzbek immigrant, is accused of driving a rented pickup truck onto a New York City bike path in 2017, killing eight people in its path of destruction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Li began his opening statement by recreating the terror attack that he said Saipov carried out on a sunny Halloween day in 2017. Li described a scene of destruction and horror, with screams filling the air. Saipov is charged with 28 counts, including eight counts of murder, attempted murder, and one count of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State terrorist group, or ISIS.

The prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, marking the first federal death penalty trial under President Joe Biden’s administration. Saipov’s defense team has argued that he was mentally ill and had been radicalized by ISIS propaganda. They have also argued that Saipov was not an official member of ISIS and that he was not acting on behalf of the group.

The trial is expected to last several weeks, with both sides calling numerous witnesses to testify. Saipov is currently being held in a federal prison in New York City and is expected to testify in his own defense. If convicted, he faces life in prison or the death penalty.