French authorities have taken two 16-year-old boys into custody in Paris on suspicion of planning an antisemitic attack targeting a Jewish place of worship, judicial and media
sources confirmed.
One of the suspects, a Russian national of Chechen origin, arrived in France with his mother four years ago, according to ‘Le Parisien’. The newspaper reported that the teenager had shared a photo of himself holding a knife on WhatsApp and allegedly wrote that he intended to “kill Jews in five days.”
Investigators say he was in contact with the second suspect, a 16-year-old who lives in the Paris region. The pair are believed to have discussed plans to attack a religious site.
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office confirmed on Monday that both minors have been charged with participation in a terrorist criminal association with the intent of preparing one or more violent crimes against persons.
The case comes amid growing concern over youth radicalization in France. Authorities have charged 20 minors with terrorism-related offenses so far in 2025, surpassing the total of 19 such cases recorded across the entirety of 2024. Prosecutors say the overall number of young people implicated in extremist plots has risen steadily over the past five years. Photo by Dickelbers, Wikimedia commons.