French Court Sentences Two Teens for Nazi Salutes Near Synagogue and Memorial

A French court recently sentenced two 19-year-old youths to prison for performing Nazi salutes near a synagogue and a memorial site in Sarcelles, a northern suburb of Paris. The incident, which took place late at night, was captured on security cameras and a mobile phone. Investigations revealed that the pair also made Nazi salutes near a memorial dedicated to victims of the 2012 Toulouse terror attack. Local police arrested the two individuals three days after residents reported their behavior. In a fast-track trial at the court in Bontouaz, a 19-year-old Russian citizen was sentenced to eight months in prison and ordered to be permanently expelled from France, while his accomplice, holding French and Ukrainian citizenship, received a six-month prison sentence. The local Jewish community in Sarcelles, which has faced increasing antisemitism especially since October 2023, welcomed the swift judicial response.