A military jury imposed a sentence of 26 years Friday on a former Maryland man who admitted joining al-Qaida and has been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.
But under a plea deal, the man could be released as soon as next year because of his cooperation with U.S. authorities.
He apologized for his actions, which included planning al-Qaida attacks in the U.S. after 9/11 and a failed plot to kill former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf. During a two-hour statement to jurors on Thursday, he said: "I did it all, no excuse. And I am very sorry to everyone I have hurt." A pretrial agreement means he could be released as early as February, at which point he would be resettled in an as-yet to be determined third country. He cannot return to Pakistan.
"Since the commission of these crimes, Majid is a different person," said U.S. army Maj. Michael Lyness, a defence attorney. "Majid Khan is reformed and deserving of your mercy."
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