Russian arrested as Paris 2024 Olympics terrorist attack plot foiled
French authorities have detained a man suspected of planning a terrorist attack, targeting the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The man, a Russian citizen, was arrested in the vicinity of Bordeaux, France on Tuesday, according to French network 3 TV.
“A young man of 18 was arrested in the Gironde department on Tuesday as part of an investigation by the anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office,” the channel said [h/t Breaking the News]. “He was planning to organize a terrorist attack during the Olympic Games in France.”
Ultimately, officials have determined the 18-year-old Russian citizen was organizing a scheme to “destabilize” the Olympics. However, Tuesday’s arrest is not the first time a planned attack on the Olympics has been foiled by French authorities.
On July 17, French anti-terror police arrested an alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer who was suspected of targeting the Olympic torch relay, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. Officials said the man was arrested on the morning of July 17 at his home in eastern France, via AP.
The man in question ran a group called the “French Aryan division” on the Telegram social media channel. In the group, the man posted death threats, hate speech and other posts he allegedly made, which led to officials arresting the man.
Darmanin added more information, claiming the man had planned to “intervene” during the torch relay. Authorities have also been alerted to the man’s presence, as he often posted “ultra-right ideas” and often appeared to target authority figures.
Also, the man has allegedly shared bomb-making instructions, which also led to his arrest. Along with the aforementioned occurrences, threats have also been thrown to some of the athletes competing in the games themselves.
Israel’s Opening Ceremony flagbearer, Peter Paltchik, and swimmer Meiron Amir Cheruti received invitations to their own funerals, with a date of July 27, 2024, being posted on the invitation, according to The Times of Israel. The group that sent the letter identified itself as “the People’s Defense Organization” and wrote the threats as a way to get back at Israel for its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
“The People’s Defense Organization announces that it intends to harm any Israeli presence at the Olympics,” it read. “The Jewish lobby that controls the French Parliament won’t decide anything anymore.
“The fate of the Zionists will be like the fate of the Palestinians in Gaza if the Zionists continue to threaten everyone. Therefore, you’re not invited to Paris 2024. If you come, take into account that we intend to repeat the events of Munich 1972.
“You will be awaiting attack at every moment – in the airport, the hotel, and the streets which belong only to us. Even a wave of arrests against our organization won’t stop us from seeing our plan through. Prepare for the intifada!”
In response to the threats, Yael Arad, Israel’s Olympic committee chairwoman, assured the athletes are safe and will be protected by armed agents. “We are obviously taking this seriously and not looking on it lightly, but we are also not getting overexcited,” she said.
“It was clear to us that this kind of trolling would happen. We were prepared for it. We’ve instructed the athletes on how to react if it happens, and we had a lot of conversations and meetings on the subject.”
Source » msn.com
