Egyptian man who firebombed a Colorado rally for Israeli hostages pleads guilty to US hate crimes while already serving life

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 46, an Egyptian national already serving life plus 2,128 years on state charges, pleaded guilty in Denver federal court on Thursday to nine hate crime counts and three explosives charges. Over the course of a year he prepared for the attack, studying explosives videos online before making his way to Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, where he shouted "Free Palestine!" and hurled Molotov cocktails at the weekly Run for Their Lives march. Despite Soliman himself requesting the death penalty at his state sentencing, federal prosecutors chose not to pursue it; his federal sentence will be set in January.

Karen Diamond, 82, died three weeks after the June 2025 attack; her family said she suffered 'indescribable pain' and her husband Lou was hospitalised for a month with severe burns.

Soliman told police after his arrest that he wanted to 'kill all Zionist people'; he entered the US in 2022 on a non-immigrant visa that expired in February 2023.

US Attorney Peter McNeilly said the federal case was vital to hold Soliman accountable for the 'hateful ideology' that drove the attack, establishing he targeted victims because he believed them to be Jewish.