Timur Mamatov pleaded guilty to violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act after he assaulted two Jewish students on campus based on their religion. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Lantern Photo File
A man pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court this past Friday for a hate crime that happened on North High Street on Ohio State’s campus in 2023.
Timur Mamatov admitted to violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act after his physical assault of two Jewish students on campus based on their religion.
University Spokesperson, Chris Booker, said in an email that the university condemns hate crimes.
“Antisemitism is despicable and has no place in our community,” Booker said. “Ohio State immediately responded through law enforcement and other support and we appreciate the work of the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as that of federal, state, and local law enforcement, in supporting students at Ohio State.”
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said “violence against people of faith is illegal and unacceptable.”
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said no one should feel unsafe due to their faith.
“Mamatov admitted in court today that he assaulted victims because they were Jewish,” Gerace said in a statement. “No Americans should fear being violently attacked based on their religious beliefs.”
According to the court documents, on Nov. 10, 2023, Mamatov and a friend had an altercation with five students outside of a bar on North High Street. One of the students was wearing a “Chai” pendant, a well-known Jewish symbol represented by the Hebrew character of 18. Mamatov asked the students if they were Jewish, to which they replied yes.
Mamtov then punched one of the victims, fracturing his jaw, and a second victim was injured, suffering from a fractured nose. Mamatov was charged with a bill of information on July 3.
Mamtov was not a student at Ohio State nor affiliated with the university.
A federal district judge will decide his sentence at a later date.
