Prosecutors charge teenager over hate-driven arson attacks and assault
Wednesday 9th September 2026 on 11:30 in
Estonia
Estonian prosecutors have charged a 16-year-old boy with multiple arson attacks and acts of violence allegedly motivated by extremist views and hostility towards specific national and ethnic groups, ERR reports.
The teenager is accused of repeatedly setting fire to cars owned by Black people, as well as a kebab kiosk on Akadeemia Road and an Indian restaurant on Rahumäe Road. He allegedly used lighter fluid or bottles filled with petrol to start the fires.
A person was inside the restaurant when it was set alight, putting their life at risk, prosecutors said. The kebab kiosk was destroyed by fire in May.
In June, the 16-year-old and a 19-year-old man allegedly followed a victim and attacked them with a hammer. Prosecutors have charged both young men with attempting to cause life-threatening bodily harm.
The 16-year-old also faces charges of systematic arson, damaging another person’s property and physical assault. The alleged crimes caused victims total damage of more than 82,000 euros.
Prosecutor Rita Siniväli said the offences appeared to be connected by their motive and increasing level of danger.
“The acts attributed to the young man were deliberate, planned and committed over a relatively short period. The evidence gathered indicates that his actions were influenced by extremist views, including anti-Islamic, anti-Muslim and anti-migrant narratives,” Siniväli said.
She said the victims were mainly citizens of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria who had lived and worked in Estonia for a longer period.
Vadim Kuperštein, head of the personal crimes division at the Northern Prefecture’s criminal bureau, said the cases initially appeared unrelated but involved a similar group of victims. According to Kuperštein, the suspects deliberately tried to avoid identification and conceal their tracks.
Police identified connections between the cases, located the two young men and detained them in June, he said. Neither has expressed regret so far, according to Kuperštein.