Czech Teen Faces Up to 12 Years for Attempted Synagogue Attack
Jerusalem, 12 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Brno (CTK) – The attempt to set fire to the Brno synagogue in January 2024 is heading to court, the prosecutor has charged one man with, among other things, an attempted terrorist attack. The accused allegedly committed it as a juvenile together with a minor, who is not criminally liable due to his young age. The prosecutors also accuse the accused of other crimes, such as attempted murder. The man is in custody, facing up to 12 years in prison. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Radek Bartoš reported this on the website of the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Olomouc today.
According to police, two young people attempted to set fire to a synagogue in Brno using an improvised device in January of last year. The case was uncovered by police while investigating a group that was spreading hateful content and promoting terrorist organizations on social media.
“If convicted, the accused faces a prison sentence of three to 12 years, which will be a cumulative sentence for all currently charged crimes and offenses, as well as offenses for which he was previously convicted as a juvenile,” said Bartoš.
The case will be heard by the Regional Court in Brno. In addition to the attempted terrorist attack, the prosecutor accuses the man of an attempted murder in March 2024. According to the preliminary proceedings, this act appears to be a case of so-called experiential violence, where, according to the prosecutor, the accused wanted to experience what it felt like to kill another person. He also allegedly committed this act together with a minor who is not criminally responsible due to his age.
“For this purpose, they were to select a person of weaker physical constitution living on the fringes of society, whom they were to lure to a remote place and get drunk with alcohol. Subsequently, the accused was to attack the injured person with multiple kicks and punches, stopping his actions only when the victim appeared dead, and then leave the place. However, the attacked person survived the attack, regained consciousness after a certain time and sought help,” said Bartoš.
In connection with the attempted murder, the prosecutors also accuse the accused of blackmail, because he threatened the witness of the murderous attack with violence if he helped the victim and reported the act to the police. As an adult, the prosecutors accuse the man of spreading objectionable content on the Internet, specifically of promoting Islamic terrorist organizations and inciting antisemitism between 2023 and 2025. The prosecutor assessed this as a particularly serious crime of supporting and promoting terrorism and the offense of inciting hatred against a group of persons or restricting their rights and freedoms.
