The Paris Criminal Court has sentenced four Bulgarian citizens in the case of the desecration of the Holocaust memorial, known as the “red hands” incident. Investigators suspect that the act was carried out under orders from Russian intelligence, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to RFI and France 24.
According to the investigation, on the night of May 14, 2024, Georgi Filipov and his accomplice Mircho Angelov left nearly 500 red handprints across two districts of Paris. Thirty-five of these prints were placed on the Wall of the Righteous Among the Nations at the Holocaust Memorial, which honors those who helped Jews survive during World War II.
A third defendant, Kiril Milushev, filmed the act of vandalism. All three men fled after spotting a security guard at the memorial and later left for Bulgaria the same evening. Authorities discovered that the fourth individual, Nikolay Ivanov, who had never visited France, purchased the plane tickets for the group and coordinated the operation remotely.
The investigation suggests that the defacement of the memorial was likely part of a broader Russian intelligence effort to destabilize France. Photos of the red handprints shared on social media, which subsequently appeared in newspapers, provoked public outrage. Prosecutors noted that the imagery may have been a reference to the 2000 lynching of two Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, when the perpetrators displayed bloodied hands from a building window.
During the trial, Milushev admitted to his participation, claiming he was intoxicated at the time. The 28-year-old explained that he lived with his mother, who financially supported him, and that Angelov invited him to Paris as a way to “distract from a breakup.” According to Milushev, Angelov offered him 500 euros to film the handprints on the wall.
Ivanov’s phone contained messages in Russian on Telegram, indicating his role as a potential recruiter. He received the longest prison sentence — four years. Filipov and Milushev were sentenced to two years each, and Angelov to three years. All four were also permanently banned from entering France.
During the court session, Ivanov and Milushev expressed shame and stated that they had been misled. French authorities believe this case may be part of a series of foreign interference attempts, including incidents with Stars of David painted on walls, pig heads left near mosques, and a coffin placed at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
Earlier we wrote that King Charles III Strips Prince Andrew of Titles After Epstein Scandal and Giuffre Settlement.
