Zacarias Moussaoui, who was sentenced last week to life in prison, today filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea and said he lied when he testified that he was meant to be part of the September 11 hijacking plot.
Moussaoui, 37, said in an affidavit filed with the motion that he had pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy in connection with the attacks against the advice of his court-appointed lawyers because his understanding of the US legal system was "completely flawed."
Moussaoui's court-appointed lawyers -- who rarely speak to their client -- said in a footnote that they were aware of a federal rule that prohibits a defendant from withdrawing a guilty plea after a sentence is imposed.
But they said they filed the motion anyway "given their problematic relationship with Moussaoui."