BOSTON: A federal judge on Friday rejected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s bid for a new trial and ordered him to pay victims of the deadly attack more than $101 million in restitution.
The restitution order, issued by Judge George O’Toole Jr., is seen as largely symbolic because Tsarnaev is in federal prison and has no ability to pay.
Tsarnaev, 22, was convicted and sentenced last year to death in the 2013 attack. Two pressure cooker bombs placed near the marathon finish line by Tsarnaev and his brother killed three people and injured more than 260 others.
Tsarnaev also was convicted of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer days later. During the sentencing hearing Tsarnaev admitted that he and his brother committed the bombings, and he apologized to the victims.
His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died days after the bombing following a gunbattle with police.
The judge, in his order denying Dzhokhar Tsarnaev a new trial, noted that he and a federal appeals court had previously rejected arguments from Tsarnaev’s lawyers that he could not receive a fair trial in Boston, where many people knew the victims or had connections to the marathon. The defense also cited intense and continuing local news coverage of the victims and the anniversary of the bombings.
But the judge said the victims, the trial and other marathon-related events also were covered widely by national and international news organizations.
“There is no reason to think — and certainly no specific evidence — that this extensive coverage would have been any different in kind or degree if the trial had been conducted elsewhere,” he wrote in his order. “This was not a crime that was unknown outside of Boston.”
The judge also rejected Tsarnaev’s renewed challenge to the constitutionality of the federal death penalty. Tsarnaev’s lawyers cited a dissenting opinion in a US Supreme Court ruling last year by Justice Stephen Breyer and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who said they think it’s “highly likely” the death penalty is unconstitutional. But the judge in Tsarnaev’s case said that whatever the merits of the dissent, the majority opinion was the binding precedent.
In that ruling, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold the use of midazolam, a sedative that was used in several problematic executions.
Liz Norden, the mother of two men who each lost a leg in the Boston Marathon bombings, said she was pleased the judge denied Tsarnaev’s request for a new trial.
“I personally think he did get a fair trial,” she said. “He said he did it. He admitted to it. I don’t know why they would even consider that what he got was not deserving.”
Boston Marathon bomber loses bid for new trial, told to pay $101m
Boston Marathon bomber loses bid for new trial, told to pay $101m
The sum of all fears
- After 3 years and millions spent on 24 foreign and local players and 3 new coaches, the question fans and pundits are asking is: Where is Al-Nassr’s return on investment?
- Ronaldo’s PR war with the club and the Saudi Pro League is now being played out in public after he missed a second straight game against Al-Ittihad
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo’s famed PR prowess is in full flow as controversy surrounding his refusal to play for Al-Nassr continues. Meanwhile, his club and the Saudi Pro League are standing their ground. And across the Kingdom, and around the world, the question fans and pundits are asking is: Where is Al-Nassr’s return on investment since the Portuguese superstar joined just over three years ago?
A solitary Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023, with no major domestic or continental titles, would be — for a club of Al-Nassr’s stature — unacceptable during any period, never mind one which includes Ronaldo and a host of expensive foreign and local signings.
The club have signed over 50 players in the Ronaldo era and appointed three full-time coaches, including incumbent Jorge Jesus. The return has been scant, to say the least.
The club’s malaise on the pitch has been matched in the boardroom with a host of changes taking place during the continuing trophy drought. In 2024, Al-Nassr’s President Ibrahim Al-Muhaidib resigned due to lack of control at the club and was eventually replaced by Abdullah Al-Majid.
In January of 2025, Majid Al-Jam’an replaced Al-Nassr’s CEO at the time of Ronaldo’s arrival, Guido Fienga, whose role changed to club adviser. Following restructuring demands by Ronaldo, Al-Jam’an himself was replaced last summer with Jose Semedo. At the same time, Simao Coutinho replaced former Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro as sporting director.
Such turmoil has hardly been conducive to success and trophies, despite all the incoming signings.
The fallout from Ronaldo’s refusal to play for Al-Nassr since the last day of the winter transfer window continues to be felt almost a week on.
It is safe to say the direction of Saudi football itself has shifted dramatically since the turn of the month. With the transfer window initially not producing any fireworks, it seemed like all the focus would return to the title race between Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah as the season entered its final third.
That changed following a contract renewal dispute between Karim Benzema and Al-Ittihad, which led to the Frenchman’s departure. A swift move to Al-Nassr’s city rivals and league leaders Al-Hilal followed, leading to the dramatic fallout that caused shockwaves across the football industry.
The repercussions of Benzema’s transfer have reshaped the league’s landscape. Ronaldo, reportedly frustrated that Al-Nassr had only signed Hayder Abdulkareem from Al-Zawraa and Abdullah Al-Hamdan from Al-Hilal, withdrew from his side’s clash with Al-Riyadh on Feb. 2.
As reports emerged suggesting that Ronaldo was unhappy with the way the Public Investment Fund was managing the league’s four major clubs, global media attention turned to how the situation would unfold.
Despite the noise off the field, Al-Nassr remain just one point behind Al-Hilal in the title race with more than a third of the games still to play.
The side endured a difficult run against Al-Qadsiah, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal, but the league remains wide open with all four sides still in contention.
While Ronaldo returned to training amid false reports of his departure from the Kingdom, he missed a second consecutive match on Feb. 6 — a 2-0 win against Benzema’s former club Al-Ittihad.
It is fair to say that the drama has been the biggest seen in Saudi football since Ronaldo joined at the end of 2022, and arguably one of the biggest ever.
It is not the first time that the 41-year-old star has leveraged his status in world football to drive his ambitions, and his grievances, to the fore. His move to Saudi had taken place following an infamous interview with international television host Piers Morgan in which he criticized his then-club Manchester United, leading to his signing for Al-Nassr.
Now, with no clarity on whether Ronaldo will feature against Al-Fateh on Feb. 14, questions surrounding his immediate future remain unanswered.
A day prior to the Al-Ittihad encounter, a Saudi Pro League spokesperson revealed in an official statement to the BBC that “no individual — however significant — determines decisions beyond their own club.”
However, an Al Arabiya source outlined there were four factors behind Ronaldo’s reported dissatisfaction.
Firstly, Al-Nassr were said to be close to signing Saud Abdulhamid, but the deal collapsed amid claims that Al-Hilal, one of the player’s former clubs, believed his return to the league should only be with them.
Secondly, the source claimed Al-Nassr did not receive the same backing as Al-Hilal during the transfer window.
Thirdly, the league leaders made four foreign signings, including Benzema, to dwarf Al-Nassr’s efforts.
The source finally alleged that Ronaldo believed Al-Nassr’s CEO and sporting director had been restricted in their ability to operate.
While many fans continue to voice their support for Ronaldo, alternative viewpoints have emerged as his absence has continued.
Sports lawyer Ahmed Al-Shikhi posted on social media that, based on the official FIFA Transfer Matching System data for 2025, Al-Nassr were the highest spending club not just in Saudi Arabia, but across Asia.
Some fans have noted that, despite the club’s heavy spending, Al-Nassr remain the only member of Saudi Arabia’s traditional “big four” not to have won a major trophy since Ronaldo’s arrival.
For his part, renowned sports commentator and former Saudi footballer, Turki Al-Awad, defended Al-Nassr and eluded that given everything Cristiano Ronaldo has offered Saudi football, "the GOAT" should be above criticism.
“Ronaldo was the first to join the Saudi project, and on that basis, he should be treated (with respect), with the issue resolved quickly. We were very happy with his arrival, and he added a lot to us,” he said recently on Fi Al Marmi, a leading sports talkshow on Al-Arabiya News Channel.
On a similar note, Piers Morgan also voiced his support for Ronaldo.
Posting on X, he wrote: “Cristiano has revolutionised Saudi football in a way nobody else could have done. He just wants a level playing field”.
The situation ultimately underscores the growing tension between individual star power and institutional governance within the Saudi Pro League.
As the title race is set to enter its decisive phase in the coming weeks — including a Riyadh derby that could prove pivotal — it remains to be seen whether Ronaldo’s absence proves a momentary protest or a sign of deeper friction that will become clearer in the coming weeks.
For now, the episode has shone a light on the fact that the Saudi Pro League’s evolution is entering a more complex phase — one in which the battle between stars and structure proves difficult to govern.
