Suspect in Colorado attack on Israeli hostage advocates hit with federal hate charges
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County, was previously charged with attempted first-degree murder and one hate crime count in federal court for attacking the protesters on June 1. The added hate crimes filed on Tuesday were expected.
The new indictment lays out evidence officials gathered to argue that Soliman targeted the group of demonstrators, "Run for Their Lives," because of their national origin or perceived national origin.
Video of the incident appears to show Soliman shout "Free Palestine!" when he attacked demonstrators, the indictment states.
While being interviewed by detectives upon his arrest, Soliman also said that he viewed "anyone supporting the exist of Israel on our land" to be "Zionist," according to the indictment.
Soliman added that "he "decide[d] to take [his] revenge from these people" and "search[ed] the internet looking for any Zionist event," the indictment says.
He also told detectives he hoped he "burned them all. I killed them all. This was my dream," according to the indictment.
Officials additionally found a handwritten note was recovered from Soliman's car, which described Israel as a "cancer entity," the indictment says.
"Zionism is our enemies untill [sic] Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land," the note reads, according to the indictment.
Soliman did not kill any of the demonstrators, but injured eight people. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the federal hate crime charges.
He is expected to appear in court on Friday to enter a plea to the charges.
Soliman is being represented by public defenders who do not issue statements or comment on pending cases to the media.
A few days after Soliman's arrest, immigration authorities apprehended Soliman's wife and five children — who are Egyptian nationals — for what the White House called "expedited removal."
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the family came to the United States in 2022 and applied for asylum shortly afterwards. Their visas expired in February 2023.
A federal judge ordered this month that Soliman's wife and children not be deported. They have not been charged with crimes in connection with the Boulder attack.
In court on Tuesday, attorneys for Soliman's wife argued that the Trump administration "initiated a public media campaign promoting vitriol and falsehoods about the traumatized family" and "lacks authority to detain non-citizens for unlawful purposes."
In its filing on Tuesday, the government said Soliman's wife's court challenge was "without merit."
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