Colorado Molotov attacker pleads guilty to murder; family pleads for mercy
Al Jazeera English
Mohamed Soliman, 46, pleaded guilty to murder for throwing Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel hostage protesters in Boulder, Colorado. Victim Karen Diamond, 82, died after weeks of agony; her sons urged no leniency. Community groups and lawmakers are calling for an end to immigration proceedings against Soliman's family, who are not charged.
Mohamed Soliman, 46, an Egyptian national accused of attacking pro-Israel hostage demonstrators in Colorado, has pleaded guilty to murder. The attack occurred in June 2025 in Boulder, Colorado, when Soliman threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd of protesters.
One victim, 82-year-old Karen Diamond, died from injuries sustained in the attack. In a statement read in court by prosecutors, her sons Andrew and Ethan Diamond said their mother endured “unimaginable pain” for over three weeks before her death. They asked the court to deny Soliman contact with his family, “because he is responsible for our mother never seeing her family again.”
Soliman faces more than 100 state-level criminal charges and has pleaded guilty to two separate murder charges related to Diamond’s death, both carrying life sentences. He also faces a federal hate crime indictment.
Family detained and plea for leniency
After the attack, the White House pledged to quickly deport Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their five children (ages 5 to 18). Lawmakers and community groups criticized this as collective punishment. The family has condemned the attack and denied prior knowledge of the plan; El Gamal filed for divorce immediately after the incident.
An FBI agent later swore no evidence showed the family, who face no criminal charges, knew about the father’s plan. Nonetheless, they were detained for ten months in an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, before being released at the end of April.
However, they were rearrested during a routine check by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Family attorney Eric Lee called it a “kidnapping.” A judge canceled the deportation flight, and the family was released again. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security labeled them a “terrorist’s family” and vowed to continue fighting for their deportation.
Numerous community groups and lawmakers in the Boulder area signed a public statement urging immigration authorities to stop targeting the family. The statement emphasized: “They belong here, and with a clear voice, we call on the federal government to cease persecuting this family and allow them and the community to live in peace.”
