Moscow Synagogue Attack Case Sent To Court

Prosecutors said today the case has been sent to court. It was not immediately clear when court hearings may begin.

Prosecutors accuse a 20-year-old Moscow resident, Aleksandr Koptsev, of breaking into the synagogue and attacking worshippers with a knife during evening prayers.

Moscow prosecutor Anatoly Zuyev said Koptsev faces two charges, including ethnically and religiously motivated attempted murder.

"Extremist publications found at the residence of the accused, his Internet searches for materials inciting interethnic strife, and other evidence give us every reason to assert that Kopstev's crime was motivated by religious and ethnic hatred," Zuyev said.

The prosecutor said that if found guilty, Koptsev could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Prosecutors said they found no evidence linking Koptsev to any extremist group.

 (ITAR-TASS, Interfax)