A person in Paris was punished for graffiti about the war in Ukraine
In France, seven Moldovan citizens were fined for graffiti in Paris related to the war in Ukraine. Images of coffins and messages about French soldiers appeared on buildings. The court did not view their actions as an attempt to “demoralize the army,” but found them guilty of causing damage, according to Actu.fr.
The verdict in the case was handed down by a Paris court on April 16. The seven Moldovan citizens received fines ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 euros. Five were sentenced to the minimum fines, one must pay 7,000 euros, and another, considered the organizer, must pay 10,000 euros.
None of the defendants were present in court. The hearing itself took place on February 23. The case concerns a series of incidents that occurred in June 2024. At that time, graffiti depicting coffins and messages about the French military’s involvement in the war in Ukraine appeared on buildings in central Paris.
In particular, on June 7, the graffiti appeared on the building of the French National Assembly. Two weeks later, similar inscriptions were spotted on the offices of Agence France-Presse and Le Figaro. Among the slogans were “Stop the death now!” and “Mriya Ukraine.” In various parts of the city, coffins with airplane wings and the inscription “Mirages for Ukraine” were also painted.
The prosecution attempted to prove that these actions could have been aimed at demoralizing the army—an offense punishable by imprisonment. But the court did not agree. “We are satisfied with this decision, which rightly rules out the charge of demoralizing the army,” stated attorneys Emmanuel de Dineshen and Louis Gloria.
At the same time, the case has become part of a broader investigation into possible foreign influence in France. Previously, other similar incidents had been recorded in the country—Stars of David on buildings, red handprints at the Holocaust Memorial, and provocations near mosques.
French intelligence agencies and experts have repeatedly suggested that Russia may be behind such actions. At the same time, Moscow traditionally denies any involvement in such incidents.
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed that high school students regularly observe a “screen-free day.” This involves putting away phones and social media to refocus attention on learning and face-to-face communication.
