France Says Paris Mosque Desecrations Done by Foreign Nationals Who Have Fled

IQNA – Foreign nationals are suspected of placing pig heads outside several mosques in the Paris region before leaving France, prosecutors said.

The incidents occurred overnight on September 9 at mosques in Paris, Malakoff, Montreuil, Montrouge and Gentilly. Prosecutors told broadcaster BFM TV that the actions showed a "clear desire to provoke unrest within the nation."

Investigators said two men, driving a vehicle with Serbian license plates, bought the pig heads from a farmer in Normandy. The farmer became suspicious and alerted authorities after the unusual purchase.

Surveillance footage later showed the same car in Paris. Recordings captured two men leaving pig heads at mosque entrances before departing, according to Anadolu Agency.

Officials believe the suspects may have used a Croatian phone line, which was detected crossing the French-Belgian border a few hours after the desecrations.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said the case is being handled by its Civil Liberties Protection Section under charges of "intentional violence" connected to religion and "serving the interests of a foreign power." The first charge carries a possible six-year prison term. Prosecutors are also pursuing charges of "public incitement to hatred or violence" based on religion or ethnicity, which carries up to one year in prison.

The events come at a time of concern over anti-Muslim attacks and other religiously motivated provocations in France. Prosecutors said the suspects’ quick departure indicated planning and possible foreign coordination. No organization has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not confirmed whether the men are linked to extremist groups.

Muslim organizations condemned the acts as deliberate attempts to spread division. Human rights advocates urged stronger security for places of worship, pointing to a rise in Islamophobic incidents in recent years.

Source: Agencies