Serbian authorities have detained 11 individuals for allegedly vandalizing Jewish sites and leaving pigs’ heads outside mosques in and around Paris. The arrests were made in Belgrade and Velika Plana in collaboration with national security services. One suspect is still at large, accused of instructing the group at the behest of a foreign intelligence agency.
The Serbian Interior Ministry revealed that the group’s aims included promoting hatred, discrimination, and violence based on differences. French investigators began their inquiries in early September after pig heads were found outside mosques, triggering concerns about escalating anti-Muslim sentiments.
The group is also linked to incidents such as splashing green paint on the Holocaust Memorial, synagogues, and a Jewish eatery between April and September. They allegedly affixed anti-Semitic stickers with “genocidal” messages and placed pig heads, some bearing French President Emmanuel Macron’s name, at religious locations. In Germany, the network reportedly left “concrete skeletons” with inflammatory inscriptions at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Foreign interference is suspected in these activities, with France having conducted multiple probes into vandalism believed to be orchestrated by external actors, often pointing fingers at Moscow. The recent arrests in Serbia are part of a broader investigation into organized campaigns targeting Jewish and Muslim communities across Europe.
The 11 suspects are set to face legal action on charges of racial discrimination and espionage. France hosts the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States, along with a significant Muslim community.
The arrests signify ongoing efforts to combat hate-based activities and protect religious sites in Europe.