Six far-right activists tried in Paris for weapons trafficking and attack plots
A retired police officer and a military serviceman are among six men tried in Paris for terrorism and weapons trafficking. The group organised itself on Telegram to discuss violent actions against Muslims, Jews and left-wing activists.
Six far-right activists tried in Paris for weapons trafficking and attack plots
Since Tuesday 23 June, six individuals linked to radical far-right extremism have been required to appear before the Paris criminal court. Their trial, scheduled for fifteen days, concerns terrorism offences and the illegal sale of weapons. Sitting in the dock are notably a former police officer and a soldier, both marked by an admiration for Nazi ideology.
The investigation gathered momentum following the arrest of the retired official when he was found carrying a weapon in the Var department. Searches conducted at his home revealed an impressive collection: around sixty rifles and revolvers, grenades and artillery shells. Officials also uncovered items with ideological connotations: a sculpture representing Adolf Hitler, an image of Marshal Pétain, numerous copies of the book Mein Kampf as well as postcards signed by former SS combatants. When questioned, the accused attempted to downplay the significance of these discoveries by invoking a historical interest, and presented his racist and antisemitic statements as mere jokes.
Over a seven-month period, this retired police officer sold fifteen thousand euros' worth of military equipment to a young man in uniform whom he considered his "ideal son-in-law". The latter, enthusiastic about Hitler's Germany, stockpiled sawn-off rifles and explosives at his home and in his barracks. He then sought to resell this equipment to other sympathisers of the identitarian movement.
The group's conversations took place on an encrypted messaging service. They discussed armed actions targeting followers of Islam, Jewish communities, left-wing political organisations and anti-racist activists. The National Counter-Terrorism Prosecutor had requested that this trial be organised from February. A teenager, under eighteen years old at the time of the offences, was already sentenced in May to three and a half years' imprisonment for participation in a terrorist criminal association.
Source: franceinfo
Source: France Info