ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 24 (UPI) -- Jurors in Virginia began deciding Monday whether admitted terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui deserves a quick execution or a "long slow death" behind bars.
In his closing statement, defense attorney Gerald Zerkin said the U.S. government was offering Moussaoui up as a "sacrificial lamb" and asked the jurors to deny him the martyrdom he wants, The Washington Post reported.
In his closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Raskin said "there is no place on this good earth" for the al-Qaida operative who did not speak up to prevent "mountains of deaths."
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema then gave the jury their instructions and deliberations began at 2:30 p.m.
A death sentence would have to be unanimous, otherwise he will be sentenced to life in prison for the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida terror attacks.
Prosecutors allege many of the nearly 3,000 deaths that day could have been avoided if Moussaoui had not lied or stayed silent after his immigration arrest and detention a month earlier.
Moussaoui, 37, a French citizen of Arab descent, is the first person the U.S. government has put on trial for the attacks.
