Two men whose photos appeared on the cover of the New York Post as lead suspects of the Boston Marathon bombing have settled a defamation lawsuit with the notoriously lying tabloid. Neither side revealed the details of the settlement, but both agreed it was “amicable” and waived their right to appeal.
In April of 2013, the Post published a photo of Salaheddin Barhoum and Yassine Zaimi on the cover under the headlines “BAG MEN” and “Feds seek these two pictured at Boston Marathon.” According to Internal Department of Homeland Security emails, the two men were “not of interest” and their initial search for the alleged “suspects” was based on “bogus intel.” The hasty misidentification “damaged their reputations and caused emotional distress.” (Here’s the apology the Post should have issued.) Barhoum and Zaimi sued in June of 2013.
The perpetrators of the terrorist bombing were later identified as Cambridge brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot and killed by police. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev plead guilty and is waiting trial in January, when he could be given the death penalty.
