「ダビデの星」落書き、ロシア連邦保安局関与か　仏

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】仏パリ市内および近郊の建物に昨秋、「ダビデの星」が落書きされた問題について、当局はロシア連邦保安局（ＦＳＢ）が関与したとの見方を示している。関係筋が２３日、明らかにした。（写真は、仏パリ市内の建物の壁に描かれた「ダビデの星」）
　イスラエルとイスラム組織ハマスの軍事衝突が始まってから数週間後の昨年１１月、仏検察は、パリ市内および近郊の建物にダビデの星の落書きが６０個見つかったと報告した。こうした行為はユダヤ人への脅迫と解釈されている。
　事件をめぐっては、モルドバ人の男女２人が逮捕されている。捜査関係者は匿名を条件に、２人に指示を出していたとされる親ロシア派のモルドバ人実業家を特定したと明らかにした。モルドバは旧ソ連構成国だったが、１９９１年に独立した。
　関係者は日刊紙ルモンドが最初に報じた機密書類の情報を引用し、仏内務省の情報機関、国内治安総局は、画策したのは、ロシア国外での作戦を担当するＦＳＢ第５部だと判断していると述べた。ＦＳＢは旧ソ連の情報機関ＫＧＢの主要な後継機関。
　ＦＳＢ主導とされるこの作戦について、ルモンドは、ポーランド、スペイン、ドイツ、ルーマニア、オーストリアも標的とした広範な偽情報拡散の一環だったと報じている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/02/26-16:41）

France believes that Russia's security service FSB was behind a campaign in which Star of David graffiti were daubed on buildings in and around Paris last autumn, a French source said Friday.
French prosecutors reported in November that 60 such stars had been found in the capital and surrounding suburbs weeks into the war between Israel and Hamas, with the graffiti being interpreted as a threat to Jews.
A Moldovan couple was arrested in the case and their alleged handler, a pro-Russian Moldovan businessman, was identified, according to the source who has knowledge of the investigation and who declined to be named.
Moldova was a Soviet republic before its independence in 1991.
France's international security service DGSI believes the operation was run by the FSB's fifth division that undertakes international operations, the source said, quoting from a secret internal note that was first revealed by the Le Monde newspaper.
The FSB is the main successor agency to the Soviet Union's KGB.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said during last year's investigation that the daubings had been made at the express demand of an individual residing abroad.
The graffiti, which for some brought back memories of the Nazi occupation of Paris during World War II and the deportation of its Jews to death camps, were condemned across the political spectrum.
Elisabeth Borne, prime minister at the time, condemned what she called despicable acts.
The Union of Jewish Students of France said they were designed to mirror the way Jews were forced to wear the stars by the Nazi regime.
In the suburb of Saint-Ouen, the stars were accompanied by inscriptions such as Palestine will overcome.
Le Monde said the alleged FSB operation was part of a wider disinformation campaign that also targeted Poland, Spain, Germany, Romania and Austria.
- DGSI urges vigilance -
In a recent note seen by AFP on Friday, the DGSI urged French police forces to report even weak signs of potential Russian subversion, such as vandalism, graffiti, posters, stickers and flyers, which are usually aimed at amplifying divisions in French society.
The war in the Middle East started after Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
Hamas militants also took hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza including 30 presumed dead, according to Israel.
Israel's relentless bombardment since has killed at least 29,514 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest count by Gaza's health ministry.
France blames Russia for interference in several areas.
On Thursday, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said France's air force pilots had been threatened with attack by Russian forces during patrol missions in international air space.
His remarks were the latest in a string of French accusations of aggressive Russian behaviour, including alleged cyberattacks and propaganda directed at France.
President Emmanuel Macron's government is a major supplier of weapons and aid to Ukraine, which has been fighting Russia's invasion for the past two years.
Macron declared last month that Europe's priority must be to not let Russia win.