A trial has begun in France against a group of Bulgarian citizens accused of desecrating the Jewish memorial of the Righteous Among the Nations in Paris. According to the prosecution, the action could have been organized with the participation of Russian special services and is part of a disinformation campaign aimed at inciting interethnic hatred. This is reported by the BBC, writes UNN.
Details
The incident occurred on the night of May 14, 2024: unknown individuals painted 35 "bloody hands" in red paint on the wall near the museum, where the names of French people who saved Jews during World War II are engraved. The suspects were identified from surveillance camera footage; each of them faces up to seven years in prison.
The "Russian trace" in the case, according to investigators, lies in the fact that all similar incidents were actively disseminated online by accounts linked to Russia. After the appearance of Stars of David on buildings in Paris, and also after the episode with "red hands," the content was massively spread on social network X by users whom the French agency Viginum links to Russian information campaigns.
According to the French Institute for Strategic Studies, the action was organized by the Fifth Service of the FSB, responsible for international intelligence and coordination of influence operations.