U.S. Army veteran gets 55 years for Islamophobic murder
ISTANBUL (AA) – A U.S. Army veteran has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for the murder of an Afghan refugee.
After a three-day trial, Dustin Passarelli was convicted of the murder of 32-year-old Mustafa Ayoubi in the Midwestern U.S. state of Indiana.
The killing took place in Indianapolis in February 2019. An autopsy found Ayoubi had been shot eight times, including seven times in the back.
The dispute between the two had ignited over road rage.
Passarrelli had followed Ayoubi from the highway to the immigrant’s apartment complex and had made Islamophobic comments.
According to eyewitnesses, he then opened fire. Passarelli was not charged with a hate crime.
“Mr. Ayoubi’s family and the entire Hoosier [Indiana] Muslim community have been impacted by the actions and hate the defendant displayed on that day,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears told local media.
“We cannot eradicate hate in a single step, but the prosecutor’s office will continue to hold individuals accountable should they act hatefully against any member in our community,” he added.
After the guilty verdict and sentencing, the victim’s sister, Zahra Ayoubi, said her brother’s life was cut short by hate.
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