Serbia Arrests 11 Over Vandalism Of Jewish Sites And Pig-Head Attacks On Mosques

Key Facts

Published: October 2, 2025 Location: BELGRADE/PARIS/BERLIN Source: Wire Service

• Serbian authorities detained 11 citizens accused of vandalizing Jewish and Muslim sites in Paris and Berlin, allegedly under the direction of a foreign intelligence service.
• The group defaced Holocaust memorials and synagogues, left pigs’ heads at mosques, and targeted Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, aiming to incite religious and ethnic hatred.
• While Serbia avoided naming Russia, European sources have linked Moscow’s intelligence services to similar provocations, raising fears of covert efforts to inflame divisions in Europe.

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BELGRADE/PARIS/BERLIN (Worthy News) – Serbia’s authorities say they detained 11 citizens suspected of carrying out a campaign of hate crimes targeting Jewish and Muslim sites in Paris and Berlin, including vandalizing Holocaust memorials and synagogues, under the direction of a “foreign” intelligence service.

The Serbian interior ministry said the group of 14 operated between April and September 2025, throwing green paint on Paris’s Holocaust Memorial, several synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant.

Pigs’ heads were also left outside at least nine mosques in the Paris area and at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate.

Officials said the acts in the French and German capitals aimed to “incite hatred, discrimination and violence” based on religion and ethnicity.

MASTERMIND STILL AT LARGE

Authorities named the suspected organizer only by the initials M.G., who remains on the run. He allegedly trained the group in Serbia and acted under instructions from a foreign intelligence service, though officials declined to specify which.

Government officials confirmed that the 11 suspects are being held in Smederevo, near Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, and will be questioned within 48 hours.

French investigators have long warned of Russian attempts to inflame tensions in Western Europe, despite denials from Moscow.

Since antisemitic Stars of David appeared across Paris in 2023, French media have reported concerns about Russian involvement in such operations.

While Serbia stopped short of naming Russia, several European sources have linked Moscow’s intelligence services to recent provocations.

SERBIA’S RUSSIAN TIES

The arrests come as Serbia, led by the pro-Russian Progressive Party, maintains close ties with Moscow. Belgrade has refused to join EU sanctions following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and continues to operate direct flights to St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Earlier this year, the Serbian government also promoted a Russian intelligence report alleging the EU was backing months-long protests in Serbia to spark a “color revolution.”

The case has raised fresh alarm in Europe, which is already grappling with rising antisemitic incidents amid the Gaza war.

Jewish leaders in France have warned that vandalism of Holocaust sites and synagogues risks fueling further hostility.

European diplomats say they fear Moscow may increasingly rely on covert operations and disinformation to divide European societies as the war in Ukraine grinds on.

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