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On Thursday, the French judiciary handed down prison sentences of up to five years to 16 members of the far-right group «Action des Forces Opérationnelles» (AFO), after convicting them of plotting violent attacks targeting Muslims. Two defendants were acquitted, according to the French news agency AFP.
Prosecutors at the Paris Criminal Court had sought the harshest sentence for Daniel R., the youngest of the accused and the only one already in custody for a separate case. He received five years in prison with immediate detention, due to his role as the group’s explosives expert and military trainer, as well as concerns over his potential to reoffend.
A five-year sentence, with three years suspended, was also requested for the group’s founder, Guy S., the Île-de-France regional leader, Bernard S., and another member known as Philippe S., nicknamed «Achilles». The first two are to serve their enforceable sentences under house arrest with electronic monitoring, while Philippe S. had already spent sufficient time in pre-trial detention to cover his sentence.
In addition to the prison terms, prosecutors also requested a 15-year ban on firearm possession for the defendants and a prohibition on contact between them. Their names were also to be added to France’s national register of terrorist offenders (FIJAIT).
The case centers on accusations that AFO was a terrorist organization actively seeking weapons. Investigators uncovered discussions among members about operations such as «Operation Halal», which aimed to poison halal food products in stores, and «Operation Mosque», which involved plans to bomb mosque entrances. There were also plots to assassinate radical imams.
During the trial, most defendants tried to downplay the charges, claiming they were exaggerated or purely fictional. The prosecution dismissed these defenses, arguing that the group was driven by «a fear of Islam that turned into systematic hatred and hostility».
The trial is set to continue Friday with closing arguments from the defense.
