Two French physicists have been sentenced to eight months in prison for throwing improvised explosive devices at the Russian consulate in Marseille, in protest of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The two men, Georges Sitja, 59, and Vasile Heresanu, 48, who work for the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), admitted to throwing three plastic bottles filled with liquid nitrogen at the consulate on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite the lack of injuries or damage, Moscow deemed the attack a terrorist act. The men, who are expected to serve their sentences under electronic monitoring, have also been banned from approaching the consulate and carrying weapons for five years.
Sitja, who is married to a Ukrainian woman, and Heresanu, of Romanian descent, both expressed regret for their actions. They claimed the bottles were filled with non-dangerous nitrogen, intended to draw attention to the ongoing conflict and global issues.
While the act was deemed non-dangerous by the prosecutor, it was still condemned for targeting diplomatic missions, a violation of international norms. The Russian consul in Marseille attended the trial and called the act a “serious” terrorist act.
