The Czech public prosecutor has charged a young man on suspicion of trying to set fire to a synagogue in Brno in January 2024, Olomouc Deputy High Public Prosecutor Radek Bartos announced on the office’s website today. The defendant, who has been in custody and faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty, allegedly committed the crime as a minor, along with another boy who was below the age of criminal responsibility. The case is being treated as an attempted terrorist attack.
The two young people attempted to set fire to the synagogue two years ago, using an improvised device. The police uncovered the case while investigating a group spreading hateful content on social media and promoting terrorist organisations.
The Regional Court in Brno will deal with the case.
Bartos said the defendant had already been convicted of other offences as a juvenile.
Along with the synagogue attack, he has also been charged with attempted murder for an incident in March 2024. According to the prosecutor, he wanted to experience what it feels like to kill another person. He allegedly also committed this act together with the same minor as the synagogue attack.
“For this purpose, they were to find a person of a weaker physical constitution living on the margins of society, lure him to a remote location, and get him drunk,” said Bartos. “The accused then allegedly attacked the victim with multiple kicks and punches, stopping only when the victim appeared to be dead, and then left the scene. However, the victim survived the attack, regained consciousness after some time, and sought help.”
In connection with the attempted murder, prosecutors are also accusing the defendant of extortion, because he threatened a witness to the attempted murder with violence if he helped the victim or reported the crime to the police.
As an adult, the prosecutor charged him with spreading harmful content on the Internet, specifically promoting Islamic terrorist organisations and inciting anti-Semitism between 2023 and 2025.
