4 Bulgarians sentenced to prison in Paris Holocaust Memorial vandalism linked to Russia

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PARIS (AP) — Four Bulgarians were sentenced to between two and four years in prison for their involvement in spray-painting blood-red hands on Paris' Holocaust Memorial in an act of vandalism that French intelligence services linked to a destabilization campaign by Russia.

A Paris court handed down two-year sentences to Georgi Filipov and Kiril Milushev, who acknowledged their role in the graffiti painting, and four years to Nikolay Ivanov, accused of recruiting them. The alleged ringleader, Mircho Angelov, is at large and received three years in prison.

Some 500 red hands were painted last year on a wall honoring those who helped rescue Jews during World War II, and around nearby Paris neighborhoods. The graffiti was initially viewed in the context of the war in Gaza, which has led to a rise in antisemitic incidents and tensions across Europe.

But French intelligence services say the red hands were part of a strategy by Russia to use paid proxies to divide public opinion, stoke social tensions and spread false information, according to court documents. Governments across Europe have accused Russia in recent years of a campaign of sabotage that has included paying people to commit vandalism, arson and bombing attempts.

The court stated that “foreign interference aimed at dividing the French society but that does not in any manner alleviate individual responsibility.” It noted the seriousness of the crime on a site targeted for its significance.

Plaintiffs included the Paris Holocaust Memorial and the League Against Racism and Antisemitism.

During the trial, both Filipov and Milushev expressed regrets, explaining they were paid by Angelov to paint the red hands and film the graffiti.

Ivanow, the third defendant, denied responsibility for the graffiti. He said he paid plane and bus tickets and a Paris hotel for the others at Angelov's request and denied any pro-Russian connections or sentiments.

The red hands graffiti was among several incidents over the past two years in France linked to destabilization campaigns, and the first to come to trial. Among others:

— In October 2023, soon after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, stencils of blue Stars of David appeared on Paris buildings. French authorities accused Russian security services of stirring up controversy around the stars. Two Moldovans were detained and deported in the case.

— In June 2024, five coffins appeared at the foot of the Eiffel Tower with references to Ukraine ahead of a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Three men, born in Bulgaria, Germany and Ukraine, were suspected and a warrant has been issued for their arrest, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Unusual spray-painted images and messages with references to Ukraine appeared on the streets of Paris a few days later, as Zelenskyy met with then-U.S. President Joe Biden in the French capital. Three Moldovans were detained.

Last month, severed pigs’ heads were found near nine Paris-area mosques, five of which had Macron’s name written on them. An investigation is underway.