Emmanuel Macron during the commemoration ceremonies of the centenary of the armistice of 1918. (archives) -
Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP
Two new suspects were indicted in Paris on Friday in the investigation of the “Barjols”, a group close to the extreme right-wing identity suspected of having considered violent action against Emmanuel Macron in 2018, we learned to the anti-terrorism prosecution.
These two people were indicted for "criminal association in connection with a criminal terrorist enterprise", and left free under judicial control, in accordance with the requisitions of the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (Pnat), said the latter.
The suspects, as well as two other person released without prosecution at this stage, were arrested Wednesday in Haute-Saône, Meurthe-et-Moselle and in Morbihan by the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), at the request of the anti-terrorism judge in charge of the investigation.
“At least one of them is rooted in the ultra-right, even Nazi movement,” a source close to the investigation explained on Thursday.
"A lot of weapons (...), some legally detained, others a priori not" were also found during these arrests, added this source.
11 people indicted in this case
In total, at least 11 people are now indicted in this case.
The judicial information was opened shortly after the arrest on November 6, 2018 of six supporters of the radical far right, in contact for the most part via an identity Facebook page called "Les Barjols".
The investigators decided to intervene after learning that one of the group's administrators, Jean-Pierre Bouyer, a retiree from Isère, had traveled to the east of France where Emmanuel Macron was on his memorial journey on the centenary of the end of the Great War.
In a conversation intercepted by the police, this retiree had mentioned the idea of attacking the head of state with a ceramic knife, not detectable at security checks.
"It seems that the President of the Republic was for them a potential target, even if the project was not completed," Laurent Nuñez, then Secretary of State for the Interior, indicated in 2018.
"It is a dossier of opportunity inflated by the services" which "overinterpreted inflammatory remarks by people in revolt but who had no real intention of planning an attack against the president," a defense lawyer said in early October .
Justice
Project of "violent action" against Emmanuel Macron: The two suspects arrested in Moselle, indicted and imprisoned
Justice
Project of "violent action" against Emmanuel Macron: Four sympathizers of the ultra-right indicted
Terrorist attack
Terrorism
Far right
Miscellaneous
Emmanuel Macron