NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Uzbek national accused of killing eight people by driving a speeding truck along a New York City bike path last October spoke of a “war” led by Islamic State at a pre-trial hearing on Friday and dismissed the court’s judgement as not important.
The statement by Sayfullo Saipov, a legal permanent resident of the United States, came at the end of a hearing at which U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick set an Oct. 7, 2019, trial date in the case.
“The judgements that are made here are not important for me,” Saipov, 30, said through an interpreter. “They are not Allah’s judgements.”
Saipov continued speaking even after Broderick interrupted to remind him that anything he said could be used against him.
“The Islamic State, in order to impose sharia (Islamic law) on Earth, is leading a war,” Saipov said. He had previously told law enforcement that he was inspired by the militant group.
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