The surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect has recovered enough from his injuries to start walking again and is protesting his innocence, his mother told the Associated Press.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev walked without the assistance of a wheelchair to speak by phone to his mother Zubeidat Tsarnaev, who is living in the Russian republic of Dagestan, last week.
The AP said Thursday it was the first time the 19-year-old had spoken to his mother since his arrest over the April 15 attack, which left three people dead and hundreds more injured.
Dzhokhar and his older brother, Tamerlan, who was killed in a shootout with police, have been accused of planting the bombs near the marathon finish line.
Tsarnaev, who is being held in a prison hospital, could face the death penalty if he is found guilty.
During the phone call to his mother, Tsarnaev said he and his brother were innocent.
"I could just feel that he was being driven crazy by the unfairness that happened to us, that they killed our innocent Tamerlan," she said.
More from GlobalPost: Katherine Russell, widow of Boston bombing suspect, hires criminal defense lawyer
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?