Former Taliban commander sentenced 42 years for kidnapping

A former Taliban commander was sentenced to 42 years in prison on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, for his role in the 2008 kidnapping of an American journalist and for providing material support to terrorists that resulted in the deaths of U.S. soldiers. Haji Najibullah, 50, received the sentence in Manhattan federal court after pleading guilty last year to hostage-taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death.

The sentencing hearing featured a dramatic confrontation between Najibullah and his victim, journalist David Rohde. Rohde, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who was working for The New York Times at the time of his abduction, addressed the court and directly faced Najibullah. He stated that Najibullah was refusing to take responsibility for his actions as he looked at him. Rohde described how he was lured to a meeting in Kabul in November 2008 under the pretense of an interview, which turned into an ambush. He was kidnapped along with his interpreter, Asadullah Mangal, and a local journalist, Tahir Ludin.

The three men were held hostage for more than seven months. Prosecutors said they were forced to hike to Pakistan, where they were held in a...