Trial opens in hate crime murder of Palestinian-American boy

Opening arguments begin on Tuesday in the trial of a 73-year-old man accused of murdering a Palestinian-American boy in an attack in the U.S. state of Illinois which police have linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

Joseph Czuba has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder and hate crime charges in connection with the October 14, 2023 stabbing which left six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoumi dead and his mother, Hanan Shaheen, seriously wounded.

A jury was seated on Monday for the trial, which is taking place at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet and is expected to last about one week.

According to the Will County Sheriff's Office, the victims were targeted "due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis."

Czuba, who was the family's landlord, allegedly stabbed the boy 26 times.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the trial, Joseph Milburn, an attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he was praying for a life sentence for Czuba "so we can send a message that hate crimes against anyone on the basis of their religion and national origin are not tolerated."

Then-president Joe Biden condemned the attack as a "horrific act of hate" that "has no place in America."

"The child's Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek -- a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace," Biden said. "As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred."

© Agence France-Presse