Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's relatives say Boston Marathon bombing was U.S. government conspiracy

Relatives of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are speaking out now that the 21-year-old has been convicted of bombing the 2013 Boston Marathon, saying they believe the attack was orchestrated by the U.S. government.

In an interview with Time, Tsarnaev's uncle stated that it was "all fabricated by the American special services," in an attempt to see what the public would do when faced with a terrorist threat and the imposition of martial law. "It would be so much easier if he had actually committed these crimes," his aunt, Maret Tsarnaeva, said. "Then we could swallow this pain and accept it."

The family said they didn't talk with the media before the verdict because Tsarnaev's court-appointed lawyer, Judy Clarke, said it could affect the jury's decision. They also wanted Tsarnaev to fire Clarke, who said during arguments that he was responsible for the "senseless, horrific, misguided" attacks while under the spell of his older brother, Tamerlan, who was killed in a shootout with police. "Why do we even need defense attorneys if they just tell the jury he is guilty?" Tsarnaeva asked. "What's the point."

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Tsarnaev's paternal relatives plan to appeal the case to the European Court of Human Rights, but have been warned that the U.S. does not have to accept its jurisdiction. "So I guess the U.S. has really proven its exceptionalism in this case," Tsarnaeva said. "It's a closed circle."