From painted Stars of David to pig heads placed in front of mosques, the specter of foreign interference in France hangs over nine files that the Paris prosecutor's office has been handling since October 2023. On this occasion, Agence France-Presse published a report on these attempts at destabilization, aimed, according to prosecutor Laure Becuo, to sow discord and divide the population.
Blue Stars of David
On October 31, 2023, shortly after the unprecedented attack by “Hamas“ against southern Israel, followed by the war in Gaza, some 60 Stars of David were found painted on walls in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, as well as in Bobigny and Nanterre in the capital region. No one was charged.
Two Moldovans were arrested earlier, on October 27, after they were caught painting a blue star. They were sent to a detention center for deportation. They then said they had received an order to paint the star from a third party.
Red hands
On the night of May 13-14, 2024, 35 drawings of red hands - a symbol that could be linked to the lynching of Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, in the West Bank, in 2000 - were found on the Wall of the Righteous at the Holocaust Memorial in Paris. Several dozen similar drawings were found in the 4th and 5th arrondissements of Paris.
Intelligence cables have suggested possible actions to destabilize France, organized by Russian intelligence services as part of a broader strategy aimed at spreading fake news and dividing French society.
Four Bulgarians will be tried on the merits at the end of October in connection with the case. Three have been in custody in France since being extradited from Croatia and Bulgaria, and the fourth is still being sought, according to prosecutors. On September 11, the three detainees appeared in a courtroom in Paris during a technical hearing.
A coffin at the foot of the Eiffel Tower
On June 1, 2024, at the height of the European election campaign and shortly before the Summer Olympics in Paris, five coffins were discovered at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, covered with the French flag and with the inscription "French soldiers in Ukraine". Three people were arrested in connection with the incident - the driver of the car transporting the coffins, born in Bulgaria, and two people born in Germany and Ukraine, respectively, who were detained on a bus heading to Berlin.
Ukraine-related graffiti
On the night of June 19-20, 2024, graffiti depicting a coffin was found in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, which read: “Stop the death now“, written in English and in capital letters, and followed by the words: “Mriya Ukraine“, the first of which was written in Ukrainian and the second in English. The word “Mriya“ means “dream“ in Ukrainian and refers to the “An-225 “Mriya“, the world's largest aircraft, destroyed in Ukraine in 2022. On June 18, graffiti depicting a coffin with wings was also found in the 2nd, 5th and 9th arrondissements of Paris, accompanied by the inscription: “Mirages for Ukraine“.
Two Moldovans were arrested and charged with participating in an attempt to demoralize the army in peacetime. This crime is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros. They said they had received instructions to do so via “Telegram”, and were promised payment. The two were released in October 2024 and placed under judicial supervision.
On the night of 6 and 7 June 2024, graffiti depicting coffins with the words “French soldiers in Ukraine“ were found on walls in the 7th arrondissement. Three Moldovans were arrested for possessing the materials needed to paint this graffiti. They were charged and sent to prison.
Splash of green paint
On the night of 30 to 31 April, the Holocaust Memorial, synagogues and a restaurant in Paris were sprayed with green paint. Three Serbs were arrested, charged and sentenced. They were suspected of vandalizing these Jewish sites to serve the interests of a foreign power, possibly Russia, according to a judicial source.
Pro-Russian posters
On September 3, 2025, security guards at the Arc de Triomphe discovered four posters depicting a Russian soldier, accompanied by the inscription: “Say “Mercy to the victorious Soviet soldier“. An investigation has been launched into the case for group vandalism of a national site to serve foreign interests.
Pigs' heads in front of mosques
Nine pig heads - an animal considered impure in Islam - were found on September 9, 2025, in front of mosques in the capital and the Paris region. According to the prosecutor's office, they were placed there by foreigners who immediately left the area. The prosecutor's office said it was an apparent desire to cause public unrest. Two people, who were driving a car with a Serbian license plate and who used a Croatian phone line, are suspected of this crime.
Translation from French: Gabriela Golemanska, BTA