Sayfullo Saipov trial: Expert discusses ISIS recruitment as defense argues for life in prison
NEW YORK -- The penalty phase of the trial of Sayfullo Saipov is now in its third week.
Saipov is the Uzbek native convicted of running over and murdering people on the West Side bike path with a rental truck in 2017 in the name of ISIS.
READ MORE: Jury finds Sayfullo Saipov guilty on all counts in 2017 West Side bike path attack
A jury will decide whether he gets the death penalty or life in prison.
Tuesday, the defense called an expert to the stand to talk about how ISIS recruits.
They're trying to show that Saipov grew up under Soviet rule and had no real knowledge about Islam, so they say he had no basis to question the ISIS propaganda he began consuming when he moved to the United States.
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The expert explained ISIS has been successful in recruiting a large numbers of Uzbeks.
Testimony resumes Wednesday.