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Suspected Terrorists or Terrorizing Suspects? The Killing of Ibragim Todashev by B Blake
December 29th 2013
Ibragim Todashev was a former mixed martial arts fighter and friend of alleged Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev. He was shot dead in his Florida home by an FBI agent on May 22, 2013, after allegedly attacking the agent during an interview, in which he purportedly implicated himself and Tsarnaev in the Waltham triple murders of 2011.
The FBI, Massachusetts State Police, Middlesex District Attorney's Office, Massachusetts Attorney General, Florida Medical Examiners Office, and Florida State Attorney, are all party to the inquiry into Todashev's death yet all have refused to reveal any investigative details into the shooting, or even comment on the circumstances of his death. Todashev's father, Abdulbaki Todashev recently sent a letter to President Barack Obama in what was clearly a father's desperate plea for answers. What happened to Ibragim Todashev?
The FBI, Massachusetts State Police, Middlesex District Attorney's Office, Massachusetts Attorney General, Florida Medical Examiners Office, and Florida State Attorney, are all party to the inquiry into Todashev's death yet all have refused to reveal any investigative details into the shooting, or even comment on the circumstances of his death. Todashev's father, Abdulbaki Todashev recently sent a letter to President Barack Obama in what was clearly a father's desperate plea for answers. What happened to Ibragim Todashev?
The Torment of Todashev
Todashev was interrogated by Federal agents over a four day period in relation to the Boston marathon bombings. He was questioned on a voluntary basis, provided detailed answers to all questions whilst under interrogation, and was never once arrested or detained. He declined to be questioned further by the FBI after telling friends and family members he felt pressurized, threatened and in fear of his life.
Despite this, he was subjected to another eight hour interrogation after agents arrived at his address and requested yet another meeting: an interrogation that led to him being shot 13 times (including a shot to the head) in his own home, whilst unarmed and recovering from recent knee surgery.
Despite this, he was subjected to another eight hour interrogation after agents arrived at his address and requested yet another meeting: an interrogation that led to him being shot 13 times (including a shot to the head) in his own home, whilst unarmed and recovering from recent knee surgery.
Several reasons have been put forward as justification for his shooting (all different) including that he lunged at agents with a knife, a samurai sword, a broomstick, or simply flipped a table and the agent concerned felt that he 'may have tried to go for his gun' (the agent's gun). It then transpired that Todashev was totally unarmed at the time of his shooting. The FBI would like the public to believe that Todashev presented some form of threat. But did he really?
The Autopsy Photos
Autopsy photos paint a sickening picture of what was more likely to have occurred that day. The photos show the location of the gunshot wounds to Todashev's body, and also indicate that he was violently assaulted prior to his death.
At the time Todashev sustained the three bullet wounds in the picture below, he must have been desperately trying to escape the situation he found himself in, or worse: lying face down on the floor when he took the shots. Todashev was shot in the back. Even if he had attacked an agent as claimed, what possible threat could he have posed at that particular time?
The same level of threat that necessitated shooting him from above, and in the head perhaps? This next photo demonstrates how he was shot from above into the top of the shoulder, and was subsequently executed with a shot to the head.
Another photo reveals how he also sustained several bullet wounds to the upper left arm (possibly indicating he was in a defensive position at the time he received them), and three shots to the left of his chest.
Crime scene photos
The FBI claim that Todashev was seated at a table before he lunged forward to attack the agent who then shot him in self defense. The autopsy photos demonstrate this account to be scarcely credible, but taken in conjunction with the crime scene photos, it's virtually implausible.
This is the scene of the shooting. There is no blood in any other area of the room at all, other than on the floor near the adjoining partition between the two rooms.
This is the scene of the shooting. There is no blood in any other area of the room at all, other than on the floor near the adjoining partition between the two rooms.
A closer look: Heavy blood staining and human tissue on the floor indicating that this is precisely where Todashev was when he met his bloody end.
Who's the terrorist?
Despite numerous changes to the official story several things have remained constant. No one is denying the hours of interrogation Todashev was subjected to, all without ever having an attorney present. Neither is anyone refuting that the FBI unduly harassed, threatened, and even denied Fifth Amendment rights to friends of Todashev after his killing. But one only has to look at the situation logically to deduce that as far as Todahev's shooting is concerned, no one is being told the real truth: and the FBI only have themselves to blame for that.
The FBI state that towards the end of an eight hour interrogation session in his own home, Todashev voluntarily confessed (he was never coerced) to a crime that he wasn't even being officially questioned about (the Waltham murders), and was in the process of dictating/signing that confession when for no apparent reason he attacked an agent (whilst unarmed and recovering from serious surgery), which led to him being shot and killed in self defense.
Are the public really expected to believe this version of events, especially given the several other versions of 'truth' that preceded it? Do the FBI really want the public to believe they are that incompetent?
No, which is why the ridiculous story has changed so many times.
Ibragim Todashev was a guest in America and his presence in the country was entirely legitimate. Yet, he was systematically harassed, pressurized and intimidated by the FBI over the course of several days. Clearly upset and distressed by the situation, he refused to visit their office a fifth time, and so submit himself to another long and arduous questioning session at the hands of his interrogators. That was his lawful right.
Unperturbed by his obvious distress agents then visited his home, and, accused of no crime, he voluntarily allowed them access to the property and agreed to undergo yet another interrogation at their own request. Eight hours later he was dead from multiple gunshot wounds. He was shot thirteen times, the majority of those shots fired into his back, from above, and to his head. The person who fired those shots (and is solely responsible for killing Ibragim Todashev) was a Federal agent: a representative of the US government.
Shortly after that, Todashev was publicly lambasted as a self-confessed serial murderer and the FBI attempted to justify his extra-judicial killing by offering numerous conflicting stories about the circumstances of his death. They then decided the best course of action was to invoke a total wall of silence: by refusing to answer any questions about his death to his family, the public, or congress, barring the release of his death certificate, and arresting and deporting his friends and any potential witnesses.
The Bureau will also investigate the circumstances of Todashev's death themselves, as they have done in many similar cases, evidently believing that they have a license to kill and will never genuinely be held accountable for their abhorrent actions. This is tantamount to allowing a violent criminal to investigate a crime that he has committed, whilst dutifully accepting the outcome of that investigation as a completely factual and unbiased account of the crime that he himself allegedly perpetrated. Would you?
The FBI state that towards the end of an eight hour interrogation session in his own home, Todashev voluntarily confessed (he was never coerced) to a crime that he wasn't even being officially questioned about (the Waltham murders), and was in the process of dictating/signing that confession when for no apparent reason he attacked an agent (whilst unarmed and recovering from serious surgery), which led to him being shot and killed in self defense.
Are the public really expected to believe this version of events, especially given the several other versions of 'truth' that preceded it? Do the FBI really want the public to believe they are that incompetent?
No, which is why the ridiculous story has changed so many times.
Ibragim Todashev was a guest in America and his presence in the country was entirely legitimate. Yet, he was systematically harassed, pressurized and intimidated by the FBI over the course of several days. Clearly upset and distressed by the situation, he refused to visit their office a fifth time, and so submit himself to another long and arduous questioning session at the hands of his interrogators. That was his lawful right.
Unperturbed by his obvious distress agents then visited his home, and, accused of no crime, he voluntarily allowed them access to the property and agreed to undergo yet another interrogation at their own request. Eight hours later he was dead from multiple gunshot wounds. He was shot thirteen times, the majority of those shots fired into his back, from above, and to his head. The person who fired those shots (and is solely responsible for killing Ibragim Todashev) was a Federal agent: a representative of the US government.
Shortly after that, Todashev was publicly lambasted as a self-confessed serial murderer and the FBI attempted to justify his extra-judicial killing by offering numerous conflicting stories about the circumstances of his death. They then decided the best course of action was to invoke a total wall of silence: by refusing to answer any questions about his death to his family, the public, or congress, barring the release of his death certificate, and arresting and deporting his friends and any potential witnesses.
The Bureau will also investigate the circumstances of Todashev's death themselves, as they have done in many similar cases, evidently believing that they have a license to kill and will never genuinely be held accountable for their abhorrent actions. This is tantamount to allowing a violent criminal to investigate a crime that he has committed, whilst dutifully accepting the outcome of that investigation as a completely factual and unbiased account of the crime that he himself allegedly perpetrated. Would you?
The public want answers on behalf of Abdulbaki Todashev
Ibragim Todashev's father seeks the truth on behalf of his murdered son who will never see justice. To add your support to Mr Todashev, please read the letter below (submitted by a reader) and visit the link to sign. Thank you.
Reference: Shooting of Ibragim Todashev
"I believe in our country, but we would be foolish to believe that there aren't bad people in high places. Something terrible happened in Florida to Ibragim Todashev, and his father needs answers. He has tried through our legal system to get those answers, and has failed to receive them. This is not right.
We promote our country as the greatest but this is not the way a free country responds. It is the responsibility of the United States to ensure that Americans as well as foreigners are treated with respect, fairness and lawfully at all times.
It is an embarrassment to our nation, that a government agency can commit a crime and no answers are given. We cannot, as a country, stand behind a few rogue agents. I have faith in you as our President that you will find the truth and we will show the world that if a mistake is made, we will admit it and fix it.
You are not only our President, you are a father. Don't you think Mr. Todashev deserves the truth about his beloved son?"
To add your name in support of this letter, please visit here.
We promote our country as the greatest but this is not the way a free country responds. It is the responsibility of the United States to ensure that Americans as well as foreigners are treated with respect, fairness and lawfully at all times.
It is an embarrassment to our nation, that a government agency can commit a crime and no answers are given. We cannot, as a country, stand behind a few rogue agents. I have faith in you as our President that you will find the truth and we will show the world that if a mistake is made, we will admit it and fix it.
You are not only our President, you are a father. Don't you think Mr. Todashev deserves the truth about his beloved son?"
To add your name in support of this letter, please visit here.
Related Posts:
Police corruption: Drug gangs, steroids and fighting gyms. Who really had a motive to kill the Waltham three?
Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3
Defense lawyers, Senators and the media: All are refused access to vital information in the Boston Bombing case due to the 'ongoing investigation'. Why?
What inside knowledge is driving the official push for answers in the Boston bombing investigation?
Police corruption: Drug gangs, steroids and fighting gyms. Who really had a motive to kill the Waltham three?
Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3
Defense lawyers, Senators and the media: All are refused access to vital information in the Boston Bombing case due to the 'ongoing investigation'. Why?
What inside knowledge is driving the official push for answers in the Boston bombing investigation?
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________________________________________________
We actively encourage comments, discussion and debate on this site! Please remember to keep it relevant and be respectful at all times.