Suspect in Boulder attack on pro-Israel rally pleads not guilty

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, accused of fire-bombing pro-Israel marchers in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1, pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal hate crime charges, according to the Associated Press.

Soliman was indicted on 12 federal hate crime counts and faces additional charges, including attempted murder. He allegedly attempted to kill individuals who had gathered peacefully in support of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as others nearby.

The suspect entered the courtroom smiling and clutching an envelope in his handcuffed hands, AP reported. His right hand and arm were wrapped in a thick bandage, reportedly the result of injuries sustained while throwing Molotov cocktails at the pro-Israel group.

The memorial to the victims of the boulder attack (getty)Getty Images

According to court documents, Soliman posed as a gardener—wearing a construction vest—to get as close as possible to the group before throwing the incendiary devices.

Soliman’s attorney, David Kraut, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during the brief hearing. Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella noted that both sides had acknowledged the possibility of reaching a plea agreement at a later date, per AP.

Soliman reportedly listened to a translation of the proceedings into Arabic through headphones, and remained silent throughout the hearing.

Police officers who detained Soliman found a “black plastic container with a yellow top” nearby, containing “at least 14 unlit Molotov cocktails, comprised of glass wine carafe bottles or Ball jars containing clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the bottles,” according to the indictment.

The investigation revealed that Soliman had attempted to purchase a firearm but was unsuccessful because he is not a US citizen.

Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been living in the US illegally with his family, according to federal authorities.

Prosecutors allege that Soliman told law enforcement he researched how to make the explosives on YouTube, purchased the necessary ingredients and assembled the devices himself.

“He stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” the indictment reads. “Soliman stated he would do it again. He specifically targeted the ‘Zionist group’ that had gathered in Boulder, having learned about the group from an online search.”

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the “vicious attack,” saying that “My wife and I, and the entire State of Israel, pray for the full recovery of the wounded.

“This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews.”

At a hearing last week, Kraut urged Starnella not to allow the case to proceed, arguing that the attack did not constitute a hate crime. Kraut claimed his client was motivated by opposition to Zionism—the movement to establish a Jewish national homeland in Israel—rather than by hatred toward a protected group, according to AP.