Kherson court sentenced two synagogue arsonists

The court found that the ground for the crime was national and religious hostility.

This was reported on the website of the prosecutor's office on Tuesday, July 20, reports JewishNews.

According to the court verdict, the young people who committed this crime were found guilty under Part 2 Article 194 (intentional damage or destruction of property) and Article 178 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (drinking beer, alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages in places prohibited by law or appearing in public places drunk).

The defendants were sentenced to 4 years in prison with a one-year probation period.

The incident occurred in April 2020. On the night of April 19-20, the attackers threw two Molotov cocktails into the building of a Jewish religious community and then disappeared. As a result of the arson, the facade of the synagogue was damaged.

After that, the Jewish community began to renovate the building. The synagogue was later visited by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

The synagogue building belongs to the Kherson Jewish religious community "Chabad", which is part of the United Jewish community of Ukraine.