The 16-year-old is charged with systematically setting fire, with the use of accelerants, to cars and restaurants, reportedly owned by people of color, and causing over €82,000 in damages, the prosecutor's office said.

The prosecutor says evidence points toward the youth holding extremist views, including on Islam and on immigration, and the people and businesses targeted were maingly from the Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Nigerian communities.

According to the indictment, the teenager repeatedly set fire to cars belonging to ethnic minority people, and also set fire to a kebab kiosk on Akadeemia tee in Mustamäe and a restaurant serving Indian food on nearby Rahumäe tee. He allegedly used lighter fluid or bottles filled with gasoline to do so. At the time of the restaurant fire, a person was inside the building when he set fire to it, meaning a threat to life and well-being.

The acts were not limited to attacks on property. In June, the 16‑year‑old and a 19‑year‑old followed a victim and attacked him using a hammer. The prosecutor's office charged both men with attempted assault causing life‑threatening bodily harm.

"The acts which the young man is accused of were well thought out, planned and committed within a relatively short period of time," said Prosecutor Rita Siniväli. "The evidence collected indicates that his actions were influenced by extremist views, including anti‑Islamic, anti‑Muslim and anti‑immigration narratives."

She added that the young man's views were "expressed in actions directed against specific people and groups. The victims are mainly citizens of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria who have lived and worked in Estonia for a lengthy time."

Siniväli called it important to see the implications of how the actions can evolve. "A person can hold very extreme or unacceptable views for others. However, a line is drawn where hostile attitudes begin to manifest in crimes directed against other people or their property. In this criminal case, the young man's hostile attitudes did not remain in just thoughts or words, but based on the evidence collected, they manifested themselves in arson and violence and became increasingly dangerous over time."

Vadim Kuperštein, head of the Crimes Against Persons Department of the Northern Prefecture Criminal Bureau, said the cases seemed distinct at first glance but were unifited by the similar circle of victims. "The young people made a conscious effort to avoid being identified and learned to cover their tracks," he said. "Despite this, the police saw commonalities between the cases, identified the young men, and arrested them in June."

According to Kuperštein, neither young man has expressed any remorse. "This is a clear sign that the young men did not act out of momentary emotions, but had specific motives and goals that they were trying to achieve."

He urged parents to be vigilant about the content young people consume. "It is important to react early. The longer a young person is exposed to such information, the more extreme views and beliefs can become entrenched, and it will be much more difficult to change the situation later."

Both young men are currently in custody.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!