Loay Assaf

Loay Assaf testified for the defense on Day 53 about two occasions when Tamerlan Tsarnaev interrupted his sermons at the Cambridge mosque. A nonprofit operations director and visiting imam, Assaf described messages encouraging integration into American society and civic participation. His account concerned Tamerlan's conduct toward him, not firsthand observations of influence over Dzhokhar.

On direct examination, Assaf recalled that a fall 2012 sermon encouraging participation in celebrations such as Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July prompted Tamerlan to stand and shout objections. During a discussion after the service, Tamerlan repeated those objections without supplying religious references, according to Assaf. Assaf said he had never previously experienced such an interruption. In January 2013, a sermon discussing Martin Luther King and civic engagement prompted another outburst. Assaf described Tamerlan's red face, fighting stance and insults, and congregants demanding that he sit down.

On cross-examination, Assaf said Tamerlan had not persuaded him during their discussion and characterized him as more emotional than rational. He could not remember exactly who accompanied Tamerlan when he left, although he thought people were trying to separate them. Assaf confirmed that Tamerlan left the room while he stayed. He also acknowledged that he had never seen Dzhokhar in person before his testimony and learned the brothers' relationship only after the bombings.