Serbian Police Arrest 11 Over Pig Heads at Mosques, Defacement of Jewish Sites in France and Germany
Belgrade — Serbian authorities announced Monday the arrest of 11 people accused of orchestrating a string of hate-fueled acts in France and Germany, including placing severed pig heads outside mosques and vandalizing Jewish landmarks, according to AFP.
The suspects, all Serbian nationals, were detained in Belgrade and the southern town of Velika Plana during coordinated operations with intelligence services. According to the Interior Ministry, the group acted under the guidance of another individual — described as trained by a foreign intelligence service — who remains at large.
Officials said the suspects’ mission was to “spread ideas advocating and inciting hatred, discrimination and violence based on differences.” Prosecutors are preparing charges that include racial discrimination and espionage.
The case stems from a disturbing wave of incidents in France earlier this year. In early September, nine pig heads — considered impure in Islam — were discovered outside mosques in Paris and its suburbs. The desecrations triggered outrage from Muslim communities and renewed warnings over the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment across Europe.
Months earlier, in late April, the Holocaust Memorial in Paris, three synagogues, and a kosher restaurant were defaced with green paint — acts that shocked France’s Jewish community and drew condemnation from across the political spectrum.
French authorities have already charged and jailed three Serbian nationals in connection with those attacks. Investigators now believe the broader network reaches back to Serbia, where the arrests were made this week.
The coordinated campaign, spanning religious and cultural targets, has underscored fears of foreign-directed extremist activity in Europe. While investigators have not publicly identified the foreign service allegedly behind the operation, Serbian officials insist the matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness.
For now, communities in Paris remain unsettled, as symbols of hate have been turned against the very places meant to preserve memory, faith, and belonging.
