Egyptian national gets maximum life sentence for firebombing Colorado pro-Israel rally

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 46, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 2,128 years after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and over 100 other charges over the June 1, 2025, firebombing attack on a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado.

The 46-year-old Egyptian threw Molotov cocktails and used a makeshift flamethrower at demonstrators rallying for the release of Hamas-held hostages, killing 82-year-old Karen Diamond and injuring 28 others. During the attack, he yelled “Free Palestine” and later expressed his intent to kill Zionists.

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty described the attack as “an attack on the Jewish community and an act of terror.”

“Today we’ve seen the defendant held fully accountable and fully responsible for the horrific hate crime that he committed and the act of antisemitism he committed after planning it out and taking methodical and intentional steps to harm as many people in the Jewish community as he possibly could here in Boulder,” Dougherty said at a press conference.

“The defendant is now going to spend the rest of his life in state prison, or federal prison, knowing he destroyed the lives of innocent, wonderful people,” he added. “And he killed Karen Diamond.” Dougherty called the attack “brutal and monstrous and horrific,” adding that it was “cowardly.”

Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said the sentence sent a message to anyone who might seek to harm the community. “This targeted attack against our Jewish community was unacceptable, and this verdict here today provides some sense of justice,” Redfearn said.

Soliman still faces federal charges in a case where prosecutors said the death penalty remains possible.

The case has also drawn scrutiny over Soliman’s immigration history. He entered the US on a tourist visa in August 2022, which expired in February 2023. Though he later applied for asylum and received temporary work authorization, his legal status lapsed in March 2025, making his presence in the country unlawful.

Following his arrest, his family’s visas were revoked, and they were detained by ICE. The Trump administration has cited the case while pushing for stricter immigration enforcement, including expedited removal for individuals associated with terrorism suspects. “Under President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security will continue to fight for the removal of those who have no right to be in our country—especially terrorists and their associates,” DHS spokeswoman Lauren Bis said.