Four Bulgarian Nationals Sentenced for Vandalizing Shoah Memorial with 'Red Hands'

On October 31, 2025, the Paris correctional court sentenced four Bulgarian nationals to prison terms ranging from two to four years for vandalizing the Shoah Memorial in May 2024. The defendants tagged approximately 35 red hands on the Holocaust memorial during the night of May 13-14, an act the court recognized as antisemitic and linked to the victim's religious affiliation.

Georgi Filipov and Kiril Milushev, identified as the direct executors, received two-year prison sentences each. Nikolay Ivanov, seen as one of the masterminds, was sentenced to four years, while Mircho Angelov, considered another key organizer who remains at large, was sentenced in absentia to three years. All four were also permanently banned from entering France.

During the trial, Filipov admitted using stencils for the tagging, citing financial hardship as his motive. Milushev described himself as influenced by his childhood friend Angelov. Ivanov claimed ignorance of the antisemitic intent, asserting he merely helped Angelov. The investigation linked the group to Bulgarian nationalist circles and contacts with pro-Russian organizations, though Ivanov denied pro-Russian leanings.

French intelligence services, including the Directorate General for Internal Security (DGSI) and Viginum, indicated the vandalism was potentially part of a broader foreign destabilization campaign involving Russian proxies. They suggested the act aimed to exploit France’s social divisions by manipulating public opinion. However, the court could not apply newer laws concerning foreign interference because those laws were enacted after the incident.

This case marks the first of several linked to suspected foreign interference in France’s social and religious fabric, reflecting wider concerns over external attempts to exacerbate identity fractures in the country.

The ruling largely followed the prosecutor’s recommendations, emphasizing the antisemitic nature of the crime and its context within international interference efforts.