Prosecution of the alleged hate crime in the attack incident in Boulder, Colorado, is allowed to continue, ruled the judge.
Fire-throwing Attack Accused Sieged in Court
A federal court grilled prosecutors on Wednesday about pushing forward with a hate crime charge against a man suspected of flinging Molotov cocktails at a peaceful protest rally in Boulder, Colorado. The accused, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, allegedly hurled these incendiaries at a group of demonstrators supporting Israeli hostages.
Soliman, 45, made his court appearance in Denver for a preliminary hearing following the June 1 attack, which left at least eight people injured. According to the investigators, Soliman had meticulously planned the attack for a year, fueled by a burning desire to "eliminate all Zionist people."
However, defense attorney David Kraut pleaded with Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella against allowing the case to proceed further. Kraut claimed Soliman specifically targeted the demonstrators due to their perceived political leanings, suggesting they were supporters of Israel and Zionism. Kraut informed Judge Starnella that under federal law, an attack motivated by someone's political views does not classify as a hate crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman argued that the attack was a hate crime as Soliman targeted people based on their perceived nationality, associating them with Israel. Hindman clarified that the government was not claiming Soliman aimed at the demonstrators due to their Jewish faith, acknowledging that Soliman maintains not all Jewish individuals are Zionists. Hindman pointed out that Soliman did not reference Israel explicitly during the attack but sought to erradicate the existence of Israel on soil he referred to as Palestine.
While some evidence seemed to contradict the government's claim of a hate-motivated attack, Judge Starnella ruled that, at this phase, the government should be afforded the benefit of the doubt when it came to the interpretation of evidence.
Detectives stated that Soliman intended to eliminate the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall but only threw two of his more than two dozen Molotov cocktails while shouting "Free Palestine." Soliman disclosed that he attempted to purchase a firearm but was unable to because he did not have legal residency status.
Arresting authorities asserted that Soliman, an Egyptian national, had been living illegally in the U.S. with his family. On Wednesday, Soliman appeared in court with his lower right arm and hand wrapped in a thick bandage and handcuffs on his wrists. Immediately following the attack, Soliman was taken to a hospital for unspecified injuries.
FBI agent Timothy Chan testified at Wednesday's hearing that Soliman burned himself in the process of hurling the second Molotov cocktail. Soliman had also marked the shirt he wore during the attack with "1187", a reference to the year Muslims liberated Jerusalem from Christian crusaders, Chan revealed. Relevant documents found in Soliman's car also highlighted this historical event.
Soliman did not achieve his desired outcome due to fear and lack of prior violence, according to police records. One of the injured suffered burns covering 60% of their body, Chan reported. Although the exact number of those still in the hospital remained unspecified, authorities listed 15 people and a dog as attack victims, with one being a Holocaust survivor.
Apart from the federal hate crime charges, Soliman faces additional counts of attempted murder, assault, and offenses related to over a dozen unutilized Molotov cocktails in a Colorado state court.
Founded in October 2023 after Hamas militants overwhelmed Israel, Run for Their Lives is the organization that fell victim to Soliman's attack.
Further Developments: Soliman's Family Pursues Respite
Federal authorities have sought the deportation of Soliman's wife and their five children, all Egyptian nationals ranging in age from 4 to 18 years old. The family members are presently being held at an immigration detention center in Texas, as dictated by court documents.
On June 3, the White House expressed intentions to deport the family members and posted a message on social media stating emphatically, "Final boarding call coming soon." However, a federal judge in Colorado granted a temporary restraining order on June 4, delaying the family's deportation. The case was subsequently transferred to Texas, where a federal judge prolonged the restraining order for another two weeks.
Lawyers for the family requested an ongoing extension of the restraining order despite government lawyers asserting in court documents that the family would be subjected to typical deportation procedures rather than an expedited one.
In a Wednesday statement, Soliman's wife, Hayam El Gamal, addressed the public, expressing her family's emotional appeal for a chance to return home, continue their studies, seek privacy, recover from the trauma, and heal together.
The attack on the "Run for Their Lives" organization, a group established in response to conflicts in the Middle East, was allegedly motivated by political views, as the accused, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, targeted demonstrators due to their perceived political leanings, specifically their support for Israel and Zionism. This incident, classified as a federal hate crime, also coincides with the general news category, as it involves war-and-conflicts and politics. Additionally, the case of Soliman's family, who are being held in an immigration detention center in Texas, is a part of the crime-and-justice sector, as it concerns their potential deportation following Soliman's legal proceedings.
