Zacarias Moussaoui

Zacarias Moussaoui is a French citizen of Moroccan descent who was convicted for his role in the September 11 attacks as a conspirator. Often referred to as the "20th hijacker," he was arrested weeks before the attacks after raising suspicions at a flight school in Minnesota. His subsequent trial was the first related to the attacks and resulted in a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

Early Life

He was born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a town in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of southwestern France. His father, a violent alcoholic, abandoned the family, and he was raised primarily by his mother, Aïcha, who worked as a maid. The family, which included several siblings, moved frequently, living in cities like Narbonne and Montpellier during his childhood. This unstable upbringing was marked by poverty and a sense of alienation within French society.

Education and Radicalization

He attended the University of Montpellier and later studied at the University of Perpignan, eventually earning a degree in international trade. After graduating, he moved to London in the early 1990s, where he attended the South Bank University for a MBA. It was at the Brixton Mosque in London where he became deeply radicalized by the teachings of Abu Qatada and other extremist preachers. He subsequently traveled to Afghanistan in 1998, where he received training at an al-Qaeda camp and pledged bay'ah (an oath of allegiance) to Osama bin Laden.

Arrest and Trial

In August 2001, he was arrested by the FBI in Eagan, Minnesota, after instructors at the Pan Am International Flight Academy reported his suspicious behavior and desire to learn to fly a Boeing 747 despite minimal training. Following the September 11 attacks, he was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. His trial, held at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, Virginia, was highly contentious, featuring frequent outbursts, the firing of his defense attorneys, and his eventual decision to represent himself. The prosecution sought the death penalty, arguing he had withheld knowledge of the plot.

Guilty Plea and Sentencing

In April 2005, he shocked the court by pleading guilty to six counts of conspiracy related to the September 11 attacks, declaring his allegiance to al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. The sentencing phase became a lengthy trial to determine if he would receive the death penalty or life imprisonment. The jury ultimately decided on the latter in May 2006, after finding that while he was eligible for execution, his direct role in the attacks was less central than that of the other hijackers. The presiding judge, Leonie Brinkema, formally imposed the sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

Imprisonment and Current Status

He is currently designated as inmate #51427-054 and is held in solitary confinement at the ADX Florence supermax prison in Colorado. His conditions of confinement are among the most restrictive in the Federal Bureau of Prisons system. In 2015, he provided testimony in a lawsuit filed by families of the September 11 attacks victims against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Despite his incarceration, he has occasionally made statements to the media through his mother and legal correspondents, often expressing radical views.

Category:1968 births Category:Al-Qaeda members Category:French people convicted of terrorism Category:People convicted of crimes related to the September 11 attacks Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government Category:Prisoners at ADX Florence