Two French researchers have been sentenced to eight months’ house arrest for throwing explosive bottles over the wall of a Russian consulate in France.
The attack in the port city of Marseille, which took place on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saw Georges S., a chemist, and Vasile H., an engineer, both employees of CNRS, France’s main state research institute, throw three bottles over the consulate's perimeter at 7:30 a.m., causing two detonations.
During police questioning, they revealed that the projectiles contained a mixture of nitrogen and chemical substances.
In court, Georges S. said that his actions were motivated by his marriage to a woman of Ukrainian origin, while Vasile H. said his concerns about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine were the reason for his involvement.
The physicists said that they had initially planned to surrender directly to the police, but finally decided to go to the demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine planned that afternoon.
Russia’s foreign ministry condemned the attack as having “all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack” and urged French authorities to bolster security at Russian diplomatic missions.
But sentencing the two men to eight months’ house arrest with an electronic ankle monitoring bracelet, the prosecuting judge told the pair: “The terrorist aspect of the case went ‘Pschiit’ like the bottle.
“It's not terrorism, not in the will, not in the personality... You have respectable opinions, but you don't do it like that!”
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which looks into major crimes, said on Tuesday it had launched an inquiry into the incident.
“An international request for legal assistance is being prepared,” Russian investigators said in a statement.
During police questioning, they revealed that the projectiles contained a mixture of nitrogen and chemical substances.
In court, Georges S. said that his actions were motivated by his marriage to a woman of Ukrainian origin, while Vasile H. said his concerns about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine were the reason for his involvement.
The physicists said that they had initially planned to surrender directly to the police, but finally decided to go to the demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine planned that afternoon.
Russia’s foreign ministry condemned the attack as having “all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack” and urged French authorities to bolster security at Russian diplomatic missions.
But sentencing the two men to eight months’ house arrest with an electronic ankle monitoring bracelet, the prosecuting judge told the pair: “The terrorist aspect of the case went ‘Pschiit’ like the bottle.
“It's not terrorism, not in the will, not in the personality... You have respectable opinions, but you don't do it like that!”
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which looks into major crimes, said on Tuesday it had launched an inquiry into the incident.
“An international request for legal assistance is being prepared,” Russian investigators said in a statement.
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