Three Bulgarian nationals are standing trial in Paris this week for their alleged involvement in defacing the city’s Holocaust Memorial with blood-red handprints, an act French intelligence services say is part of a Russian campaign to destabilize Western societies, according to the Associated Press.
Some 500 red hands were spray-painted last year on a wall honoring those who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, as well as in surrounding Paris neighborhoods. The graffiti was initially viewed in the context of the war in Gaza, which has fueled antisemitic incidents across Europe.
However, French intelligence now attributes the vandalism to a broader Russian strategy using paid proxies to sow division, incite unrest, and spread disinformation, reported AP. European governments have accused Russia of orchestrating sabotage operations involving vandalism, arson, and attempted bombings.
Four Bulgarians are charged in the case, though only three are in custody and appeared in court Wednesday. The suspected ringleader, Mircho Angelov, remains at large.
Georgi Filipov, the first to testify, admitted to painting the red hands in exchange for 1,000 euros to cover child support for his 9-year-old son. He said Angelov paid him and did not address the Russian connection.
Kiril Milushev testified that he filmed the graffiti at Angelov’s request for 500 euros. “I regret having participated in this act,” he said. Investigators also link Milushev to defacing a gravestone in Munich and placing stickers near hotels in Zurich ahead of a Ukraine peace summit.
The third defendant, Nikolay Ivanov, denied any connection to Russian interests or involvement in the graffiti. He is accused of purchasing travel tickets and hotel stays for the other defendants, which he said he did at Angelov’s request as a favor to a friend.
The suspects face charges of criminal conspiracy and aggravated property damage motivated by race, ethnicity, or religion. If convicted, they could face several years in prison. Plaintiffs include the Paris Holocaust Memorial and the League against Racism and Antisemitism.