In France, a 19-year-old Russian man was sentenced to eight months in prison
In France, a 19-year-old Russian citizen was sentenced to eight months in prison and permanently barred from entering the country. According to the prosecutor’s office, the man made Nazi salutes near a synagogue in the city of Sarcelles, a northern suburb of Paris.
The Russian national was arrested three days before the court hearing. He was seen in Sarcelles with two other people. Local residents noticed the suspects taking photos in front of the synagogue while performing Nazi salutes.
A French citizen of Ukrainian descent appeared in court alongside him. He was sentenced to six months in prison. As the Pontoise prosecutor’s office told AFP, the court found both men guilty, including of justifying terrorism.
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According to the prosecutor, CCTV footage and images retrieved from one of the cell phones showed that the Russian citizen performed the Nazi salute alongside the other man. That individual was not apprehended, and his identity remains unknown.
Moïse Kaloun, head of the Jewish community in Sarselles, welcomed the court’s decision, calling it “the only way for us to overcome this surge in anti-Semitism.” Sarselles has a large Jewish community. Representatives of France’s Jewish community have reported an increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent military response in the Gaza Strip.
