Father of Boston suspects to fly to US

MAKHACHKALA, Russia – The father of the two brothers suspected of carrying out the Boston bombings said Thursday, April 25, he planned to travel to the United States in the next days in order to understand what happened.

Anzor Tsarnaev, the father of the two suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, spoke to reporters at a news conference in the Russian region of Dagestan alongside his wife Zubeidat.

“I plan to go to the United States to clear everything up. I am not looking for revenge or to offend. Let the special services sort it out,” Anzor told reporters in Dagestan’s main city Makhachkala.

He has vehemently maintained his sons could not have carried out the blasts.

Anzor Tsarnaev said he expected to leave for the United States later Thursday or on Friday. He said Zubeidat had not decided whether to accompany him, apparently due to shoplifting charges dating from 2012.

Anzor said he wanted to see Dzhokhar, 19, who was gravely wounded during his capture by the US authorities and bury Tamerlan, 26, who was killed in a chaotic shootout.

“I want to see my youngest son and bury my eldest,” he said.

The parents have been recently living in Dagestan, an overwhelmingly Muslim region on the Caspian Sea where the family briefly stayed before leaving for the United States.

Anzor is an ethnic Chechen born in Kyrgyzstan while Zubeidat is an ethnic Avar who hails from Dagestan itself.

Dzhokhar has been charged with federal terror offenses over the twin blasts on April 15 that killed 3 and wounded 264 people at the Boston Marathon’s finish line. – Rappler.com