French Court Sentences Bulgarians in Vandalism Case Linked to Russian Interference

A French court has handed down sentences to four Bulgarians for the vandalism of a Jewish memorial in Paris, an act believed to be connected to foreign interference attributed to Russia. The Paris criminal court imposed sentences ranging from two to four years for the defendants, with Georgi Filipov and Kiril Milushev receiving two years for their direct involvement, while masterminds Nikolay Ivanov and Mircho Angelov were sentenced to four and three years respectively. Angelov remains at large and all four perpetrators have been banned from entering French territory for life. This trial marks a significant milestone as it is the first of its kind in France, amidst concerns of a series of similar incidents suspected to be organized by foreign powers seeking to destabilize society. The court noted that while the defendants were not officially tried for acting on behalf of a foreign power, the presence of foreign interference during the vandalism was evident. It was established that this act aimed to incite public unrest, exploit existing social divisions, and further fragment the fabric of French society. The incident occurred amidst increasing tensions following the outbreak of conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas in October 2023. The memorial, which the vandals defaced with red handprints, honors 3,900 individuals recognized for their efforts to protect Jews during the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. Additional red handprints were discovered in central Paris, heightening concerns over the coordinated nature of these acts. According to the Paris prosecutor's office, security agents caught two individuals in the act as they used stencils to mark the memorial. Investigators were able to trace the perpetrators through security footage and found that three of them had traveled to Belgium shortly after the incident, before boarding a flight to Bulgaria. During the trial, the defendants attempted to distance themselves from their actions, particularly targeting their alleged leader, Angelov, who was absent from court. Filipov claimed ignorance regarding the nature of the memorial he had vandalized, despite evidence suggesting a connection to neo-Nazi ideologies — including a swastika tattoo and social media posts featuring Nazi salutes. He expressed remorse for his past affiliations, stating, "I've made bad choices in the past." The prosecutor’s office emphasized that this red handprint incident, suspected to be orchestrated by Russian intelligence services, is one of nine such instances of foreign interference under investigation. Viginum, the French authority monitoring online foreign interference, noted that this vandalism act had been manipulated by certain actors linked to Russia on social media platforms like X, increasing the urgency of addressing the threat of foreign interference in domestic matters. The repercussions of this trial extend beyond the immediate legal penalties for the defendants; it highlights a growing international concern regarding the vulnerability of democratic societies to subversive external forces. As France grapples with the implications of this case, it signifies a broader issue of how foreign actors may leverage social unrest and historical grievances to disrupt societal cohesion. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2