The parents of Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev may be returning to the United States soon, weeks after their sons allegedly set off explosive devices near the finish line of the Boston Marathon and led police on a violent chase through the streets of Watertown. Anzor Tsarnaev and Zubeidat Tsarnaeva are the brothers’ parents, and have announced plans to return to the United States from the Russian province of Dagestan.
Both Tsarnaev and Tsarnaeva have been cooperating with the U.S. investigators that traveled overseas on Tuesday to gather information about their sons, who were named as the primary suspects in last week’s bombing attack. For the first time, the couple spoke with local journalists about their sons, the investigation, and their plans for the immediate future.
The Huffington Post reports that Tsarnaev announced his plans to fly to the U.S. to bury Tamerlan, who was killed in a police standoff on Thursday night, and defend Dzhokhar, who is currently being interrogated while receiving treatment at a Boston hospital for gunshot wounds to his throat, legs, and hands.
NBC’s Adrienne Mong tweeted a quote from Anzor Tsarnaev, saying “I am going to the US to bury my son. I don’t want to blow up anyone. I want to see my younger son.”
Anzor Tsarnaev and Zubeidat Tsarnaeva both spent several years living in the United States, where Dzhokhar and Tamerlan were raised. They only returned to Russia last year, and did not expect to be returning so soon.
Anzor Tsarnaev has expressed a desire to bring Tamerlan’s body back to Russia for burial, though at this point, it is unclear if he will be able to do that.
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva was unsure if she would be joining her husband on his trip to the U.S. Shortly before moving back to Russia last year, she was arrested for shoplifting, and she is fearful that if she returned to the U.S., she would be arrested again. Attorneys have assured her that, if she did travel to the United States, her criminal past would not be a factor.
When Anzor Tsarnaev does arrive in the United States, he is expected to meet with his own family and work with investigators to provide background and information on his sons.
Image Credit: AP/Kurban Labazanov