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                        Will Tsarnaev Break His Silence?

   by VOA News

   Convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be given the
   opportunity to speak publicly Wednesday when a judge formally imposes
   the death sentence recommended by a jury for the 2013 attack that
   killed three people and wounded 264 others.

   The sentencing hearing will feature statements by bombing victims on
   how the attack has affected them. Tsarnaev himself will also get a
   chance to speak although it is unclear if he will. The 21-year old
   remained silent throughout his trial.

   Last month, a jury consisting of seven men and five women unanimously
   determined that, based on the "aggravating and mitigating
   circumstances," Tsarnaev should be sentenced to death.

   The jury had to reach a unanimous decision for Tsarnaev to receive the
   death penalty. Otherwise, he would have spent the rest of his life in
   prison without parole.

   In a statement following the verdict, U.S. Attorney General Loretta
   Lynch accused Tsarnaev of "coldly and callously" perpetrating a
   terrorist attack. She said no verdict can "heal the souls of those who
   lost loved ones, nor the minds and bodies of those who suffered
   life-changing injuries." But she said the death penalty is a "fitting
   punishment for this horrific crime" and said she hoped the case's
   completion brings closure to the victims and their families.

   Tsarnaev, 21, was found guilty earlier this year of all 30 terrorism
   and other charges against him. Of those, 17 carried the possibility of
   the death penalty.

   During the penalty phase of the judicial proceedings, prosecutors
   brushed off defense arguments that Tsarnaev was under the strong
   influence of his older, radicalized brother, Tamerlan, who was killed
   in a police shootout.

   The Boston Marathon bombing was one of the bloodiest terrorist attacks
   in the United States since September 11, 2001.

   Two pressure-cooker bombs packed with shrapnel exploded near the
   marathon finish line on April 15, 2013. The Tsarnaev brothers also
   killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer days
   later.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/will-tsarnaev-break-his-silence/2834999.html