The father of Ibragim Todashev, former friend of alleged Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, has released an open letter to President Barack Obama calling for justice after his son’s murder. Todashev was killed by FBI agents in May.
Abdulbaki Todashev’s letter includes photos of his son’s bullet-ridden body and his bloodstained Orlando, Florida apartment. Ibragim was shot to death by an FBI agent accompanied by two Massachusetts State Troopers, according to Boston magazine.
Also included is a photo of Ibragim’s knee following a surgery he had in March, which the senior Todashev says is proof that his son posed no harm to the FBI agent who killed him.
In the letter, Abdulbaki Todashev says the FBI deliberately tortured and killed his son and proceeded to intimidate and deport his son’s acquaintances in the ensuing months.
Todashev calls on Obama to keep the FBI from interfering with the current independent investigation into his son’s death.
Todashev’s letter states:
“Did my son know that he had the right to remain silent or did he have rights at all, including the right to live? Being a citizen of another country he might not be aware of the laws as he was only 27 years old and wanted to live so much. No, they left no chances for him inflicting 13 gunshot wounds and multiple hematomas on his body. After what FBI agents have done to him whatever excuses they come up with nobody would believe them because my son is dead and cannot talk for himself. They did it deliberately so that he can never speak and never take part in court hearings. They put pressure on my son’s friends to prevent them from coming to the court and speaking the truth.”
“I rely on you, Mr. President, and hope that the prosecutor’s office and the court do not let the agencies conducting internal investigation on this case prevent the truth from coming to light so that at least some part of our grief, caused by the murder of our son, is relieved, and that the murderers stand trial instead of sit in their desk chairs.”
The investigation is being conducted by Florida state attorney Jeffrey Ashton. The lawyer released a statement earlier this month saying that he had received additional information on the killing from the US Department of Justice. He said he would unveil the report’s findings early next year.
Federal prosecutors have stated that Ibragim allegedly implicated Tamerlan Tsarnaev in a 2011 triple murder in Waltham, Massachusetts. Anonymous FBI sources told reporters that Todashev also implicated himself in those murders. Sources have provided conflicting reports on exactly how Todashev died.