A court in Paris has fined seven Moldovan citizens for graffiti depicting coffins and inscriptions related to the war against Ukraine. French investigators considered this case part of foreign interference campaigns, which may be linked to Russian structures. This is reported by actu.fr, according to UNN.
Details
The incidents refer to June 2024, when stencil drawings of coffins with the inscriptions "French soldiers in Ukraine" appeared on buildings in Paris, including near the French National Assembly. In other places, images of coffins with the inscription "Mirage for Ukraine" were also found.
Five defendants were fined 1,000 euros, one – 7,000 euros, and another, whom the investigation considered the organizer, – 10,000 euros. The defendants did not appear at the court hearing.
At the same time, the court acquitted all defendants under the article on "demoralization of the army," for which the prosecution demanded prison sentences. The defense called this norm outdated.
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French law enforcement and researchers have repeatedly linked similar information and psychological operations to Russia, which is trying to weaken support for Ukraine in Europe. Officially, a connection in this particular case has not been proven, but security sources said they have almost no doubt about a Russian trace.
In recent years, other similar provocations have been recorded in France – the application of symbols on buildings, acts of vandalism near memorials and religious sites.