Ok, as most of you know by now there’s a trending Twitter hashtag  #FreeJahar, which means that there are many people who believe that the suspect is actually innocent, and that the stories, details, evidence or whatever you may call them, don’t actually add up!

It comes to no surprise that the suspect’s parents believe he and his brother were actually framed, and that their sons could never do such a thing, nor plan it in the first place, is it the truth? or is just their instincts and emotions speaking? But away from the parents, most of the suspect’s friends repeatedly say that Dzhokhar was just an average college guy, he was actually named student of the month, he was studying after he got a scholarship, there was nothing fishy or freaky or suspicious about the boy… And according to many people, who are not even the suspect’s friend, details about the scene of the bombing, and the videos released tend to contradict each other and seem more like a fabricated story with really good edited images, tailored scenes and cut out recordings, than a real life story! Like the fact that many are arguing the changed color of Dzhokhar’s backpack, once it’s white, then it’s black; some are actually wondering how would a pressure-cooker-bomb fit in his backpack in the first place. Some shared a photo showing discrepancies in the face features & cap number between that of Dzhokhar and the actual suspect that was caught on tape. Another photo-analysis of the bombing scene is circulating stressing that the whole thing was “staged”. Not to mention the fact that no one is convinced he’d “run over” his brother, who is supposed to be the mastermind behind the whole thing, to save his own life and then try to kill himself when captured to “escape later execution”.
What I found also interesting is the argument of some people that if Dzhokhar’s motives were purely radical religious, then -like what radical terrorists usually do- he’d pride himself, and show off his ill-doings, brag about his accomplishments and spit out his intentions in the face of “evil”, not hide or escape or even try to kill himself.

The lack of proper proof backing up the story that he’s actually one of the bombers, made  a lot of people research the whole thing from point 0, and some people who were greatly upset by the #FreeJahar campaign at first, are starting to put things together and are joining in, believing in the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ principle.

What do I think? I think that anyone of us or our families or friends could have been there, and might have been in the news headlines, therefore I truly believe that neither I nor any of the families of the victims would feel justice is served if the wrong guy was captured and the real sick person is out enjoying his freedom, and who knows, maybe planning another deadly attack! I hope truth is revealed and the real bomber, let it be Dzhokhar or someone else, pays the price no matter who he is, what his name, color, religion or origin.

Related:

A poem for Dzhokhar by Amanda Palmer.

Alleged bomber’s aunt: Tamerlan was religious, but not radical.