French Court Sentences Two Young Men for Nazi Salute Near Paris Synagogue

Two 19-year-old men were convicted in France for glorifying terrorism after being filmed performing a Nazi salute near a synagogue in Sarcelles, a northern suburb of Paris. The incident occurred late Sunday night near the Moroccan synagogue, under a memorial plaque for victims of the 2012 Toulouse attacks by Mohamed Merah. A passing driver witnessed the act and alerted authorities, leading to the arrest of the two suspects shortly thereafter.

One defendant, a Russian citizen, was sentenced to eight months in prison and permanently banned from France, while the other, a French citizen of Ukrainian descent, received a six-month prison sentence. Both were registered in the national database for terrorism offenders (FIJAIT). Evidence included security camera footage and photos found on one suspect's phone. The investigation revealed the Russian citizen performed the salute with an unidentified third man who remains at large.

Mouiz Kahlon, president of the Jewish community in Sarcelles, welcomed the verdict as the "only way" to combat rising antisemitism in the Val-d'Oise region and across France. He expressed hope the incident was isolated but voiced concern over the public and recorded nature of the gesture. Kahlon noted the Jewish community faces a "new branch of antisemitism," including from far-right groups outside France.

Sarcelles hosts a large Jewish community, and France is home to Western Europe's largest Jewish population, approximately 500,000 people. Reports of antisemitic acts have increased in recent years, especially following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the ensuing conflict.