Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's mother claims 'America is the terrorist'

Mother reportedly defended her son in a note after he was found guilty by a Massachusetts jury

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's brother was killed in a shoot-out with police (Getty)

The mother of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man convicted of carrying out the devastating Boston Marathon bombing, has branded America the "terrorist” in a message defending her son, it has been reported.

Tsarnaev, 21, was found guilty on all counts for his role in setting off the bombs at the finish line of the marathon but his mother Zubeidat Tsarnaeva continues to protest his innocence.

A family friend said Ms Tsarnaeva, a Russian native, sent a note in Russian to him insisting that her son is “the best of the best,” according to Vocativ.

Vocativ says the note was discovered on a Russian social media site and sent to them by the sister of the family friend. It was also reportedly posted on the group “Help for Dzhokhar” on a Russian social networking site.

“Tell everyone that I will never forget their support. May the creator bless them all for their support of my precious boy,” it read.

“America is the terrorist and everyone knows it! My son is the best of the best. I embrace everyone and thank you!”

Ms Tsarnaeva has maintained her son’s innocence in the past, telling the Associated Press in 2013: "I'm sick and tired of all this nonsense that they make up about me and my children.”

Seventeen of the charges Tsarnaev has been convicted of carry the death penalty and a second hearing could begin as early as next week to determine his sentence.

Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan planted bombs at the finish line of the marathon in April 2013, killing three and injuring over 260. The pair fled, sparking a huge manhunt during which a police officer and Tamerlan were both killed.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers argued his older brother was the driving force behind the attack, presenting him as the younger brother who naively followed him.