French and Serbian authorities have arrested 11 Serbian nationals accused of committing hate crimes in France and Germany. The suspects are linked to placing pigs’ heads near mosques and defacing Jewish sites.
The arrests follow French officials’ warnings that foreign interference may have contributed to attacks on religious sites amid tensions over the Gaza conflict. France has previously investigated possible efforts by foreign actors, including Russia, to stir unrest.
Serbia’s interior ministry said the arrested individuals were trained by another person acting under a foreign intelligence service. This handler remains at large, and their nationality has not been disclosed. The ministry said the group carried out acts between April and September 2025, including defacing a Holocaust memorial and three synagogues with green paint, leaving pigs’ heads outside Paris-area mosques, and placing “concrete skeletons” with messages at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. Authorities said the group intended to spread hatred, discrimination, and violence based on religious and ethnic differences.
The arrests come after pigs’ heads were found outside at least nine mosques in and around Paris. Prosecutors said foreign nationals carried out the attacks to provoke unrest in France. Some suspects reportedly crossed into Belgium shortly after the incidents.
French prosecutor Laure Beccuau noted the methods used in these attacks resemble previous incidents targeting Jewish and Muslim communities. Similar actions included painting red hands on the Holocaust memorial and stars of David on buildings in Paris and surrounding districts. Beccuau said these acts may be part of interference operations because the perpetrators use similar tactics. Many come from Eastern Europe and often photograph their actions, sharing the images beyond France.
French police had previously detained several suspects linked to these attacks. Three Serbian nationals were arrested in May for vandalizing synagogues and a Holocaust memorial with green paint, and four Bulgarians are set to stand trial next month over red-hand graffiti. After stars of David appeared on Paris buildings, a Moldovan couple was arrested, and prosecutors investigated whether foreign actors had ordered the graffiti. A pro-Russian Moldovan businessman was later identified as a potential coordinator, raising concerns about Russian involvement.
French authorities continue to investigate the potential role of foreign influence in these hate crimes, seeking to prevent further unrest and protect religious communities.
