Bulgarian connection found after vandalism of Holocaust memorial in Paris

Traces of three people suspected of vandalism at Holocaust memorial in Paris lead to Bulgaria, reported the Parisian prosecutor's office, Politico reported, quoted by dariknews.bg. Some media suspect Russian involvement.

On the night of May 13 some 35 graffiti with red hands were daubed on the memorial in Paris, sparking widespread condemnation amid a spate of hate crimes in France since the start of the Gaza war last October. In a written response to POLITICO, prosecutors said three suspects were seen on surveillance cameras walking from the memorial to a hotel in eastern Paris before taking a bus to Belgium. “The investigations also established that the reservations were made from Bulgaria”, the service adds.

Messages of the satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaîné and FranceInfo public radio say investigators are tracking a possible “Russian destabilization operation” and have established that the persons responsible for the graffiti are from Bulgaria. In November, a Moldovan couple was arrested on suspicion of painting around 250 blue Stars of David across Paris, stoking fears of anti-Semitism. AFP and “Mond“ reported in February that the operation was “ordered by the Russian security services”.