ACLU Responds to Life Sentence for Sayfullo Saipov

NEW YORK — Today, the jury deciding the fate of Sayfullo Saipov has returned a non-unanimous verdict which means an automatic imposition of a sentence of life without the possibility of release. Mr. Saipov was found guilty of killing eight people by driving a truck through a New York City bike path in 2017.

The following statement can be attributed to Yasmin Cader, deputy legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union:

“Today’s verdict is evidence that Americans are turning away from the death penalty. What we know is that the death penalty cannot protect the innocent, it discriminates based on race, it is used primarily against the poor, and it fails to make us safer.

“These problems are well known to both the Biden administration and to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Yet, despite that fact, they pursued the death penalty against Mr. Saipov. The Department of Justice should not make this mistake again.

“The death penalty does not represent our national values, its use makes us a pariah in the international community, and importantly, it does not bring us safety or justice. Precisely because the capital punishment system is cruel, racist, and unfair, we must end its practice for good, even where guilt is beyond dispute.

“It is time for the Biden administration to keep its campaign promise and formally declare a moratorium on all capital trials.”