Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes unsealed an indictment today against the two men charged in the fatal beating of an Ecuadorian immigrant.

Keith Phoenix, 28, and Hakim Scott, 25, are accused of beating Ecuadorian immigrant José Sucuzhañay and his brother Romel last December.

According to the indictment, the Sucuzhañay brothers were walking home from a party in Bushwick in the early hours of December 7, 2008, when the two suspects attacked them with a glass bottle and a baseball bat.

The DA says the suspects beat the brothers, who were walking arm-in-arm, because they believed they were homosexuals. The indictment alleges the two suspects shouted anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs during the attack.

José died several days later from his injuries.

"The case is a clear message that society simply cannot permit cretins to target for their violent hatred anyone because of sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion or gender," said Hynes.

"We will not allow hate in our city," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, one of many elected officials and advocates in attendance. "We will not let hate go unchecked. And, if you are one of those few cowards out there who the only way you can express yourself is with violence, well rest assured if you ever do it, you will be captured, you will be prosecuted, and you will go to jail for a very long time."

Phoenix and Scott will be arraigned on charges of murder in the second degree as a hate crime, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Along with the other charges, the suspects could face 78 years to life in prison.

Both suspects were arrested last week.

Phoenix has claimed that he acted in self defense, saying Sucuzhañay kicked his SUV and reached for a weapon when confronted.

Officials say there is no evidence to back those claims.