Rahmanullah Lakanwal denied the accusation of attacking US National Guard forces in the first court session, which he attended online from the hospital.
On November 26th , an armed assailant opened fire on National Guard forces near the White House. Two security personnel were injured in the incident, one of whom, 20-year-old Sarah Backstrom, later died in the hospital.
The US government accused Rahmanullah of carrying out this attack. He faces four counts of charges, including first-degree murder and armed assault with intent to kill. According to official court documents, the suspect shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ while shooting Sarah Backstrom and Andrew Wolfe.
The judge ordered that Rahmanullah be held without the possibility of bail. The judge stated during the session at the Washington D.C. Superior Court: ‘It is abundantly clear that he traveled 3,000 miles (4,827 kilometers), equipped and with a specific purpose, to come here.’
Rahmanullah’s lawyer requested his release, pointing to his client’s lack of a criminal record.
Laknewal attended the court session online wearing a hospital gown and struggled to keep his eyes open for about half an hour. The court proceedings were translated for him by an interpreter.
Laknewal was transferred to the United States in September 2021 under the ‘Operation Allies Welcome’ program framework. He was previously a member of Unit ’03’ in Afghanistan, which was supported and equipped by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Following the attack on the US National Guard forces, the country’s immigration policies were tightened.”
