Overview
- Tarek Bazrouk, 20, was sentenced to 17 months in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan federal court.
- He pleaded guilty in June to a federal hate-crime count for targeting visibly Jewish individuals during three New York City protests in 2024 and early 2025.
- Prosecutors sought a 36-month term to promote deterrence, exceeding the 12–18 month guideline range, while the court imposed 17 months within the guidelines.
- Prosecutors highlighted messages on Bazrouk’s phone showing antisemitic bias and praise for Hamas and Hezbollah, including his self-description as a “Jew hater.”
- Supporters submitted a 250-page mitigation letter with over 11,000 signatures and filled the courthouse, yet victims questioned his remorse and the judge warned that identity-based assaults lead to jail.