A complaint has been lodged with the national police and an investigation is underway, sources familiar with the matter said.

"Around 8 p.m. Thursday evening, my husband was in the process of sticking a poster on the official signs when two young people on scooters circled around him and then took the poster off," Ms Rozenhaft told AFP.

Liron Rozenhaft then moved away to stick a new poster on another panel, before being followed by the two young men, quickly joined by a dozen individuals.

This 41-year-old man then tried to explain to them that it was "democracy" and that he was putting up these posters for his wife.

"They then punched him, insulted him with + big pile + and + dirty Jew +. Then it was the black hole", explains Ms Rozenhaft, adding that her husband spent a night under observation in hospital and suffers from a "cerebral effusion".

A young LR activist who accompanied Mr. Rozenhaft watched the scene from behind without being able to intervene.

On Friday, the candidate shared photos of her husband's swollen face on her Facebook account and posted a video of her in front of the Strasbourg court where she recounts the attack and believes that "the laxity of the authorities is responsible for an explosion crime and violence".

"I campaigned on the Hautepierre markets, I was never badly received, even if I know that it has deteriorated a lot," she added.

Among the indignant reactions of the local political class, the mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian (EELV), considered that "no violence is acceptable. This one is particularly shocking since it aims to hinder democratic debate".

She assured in a press release the Rozenhaft couple of her "solidarity", wishing that the investigation be successful "as soon as possible".

The 1st constituency of Bas-Rhin, which covers the city center of Strasbourg and several outlying districts, is the most contested in the department, with 17 candidates, including the national number 2 of the Greens Sandra Regol (Nupes) and the former candidate for the town hall, Alain Fontanel (Renaissance).

© 2022 AFP