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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: March 6, 2006 |
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Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy urged a swift investigation into two attacks on Jewish youth, his ministry said Sunday, amid heightened sensitivity to anti-Semitism in France following a brutal killing last month.
Sarkozy wrote letters expressing "sympathy and solidarity" with the families of two young Jews attacked in separate incidents Friday near a synagogue in the town of Sarcelles, north of Paris. One of the victims suffered a broken nose, while the other was not injured.
"The minister gave firm instructions to identify the aggressors as soon as possible and bring them to justice," the Interior Ministry said. Sarkozy was to meet with the victims and their families later this week, the ministry said.
Fears of anti-Semitism in France resurfaced after the killing of a 23-year-old mobile phone salesman last month. Ilan Halimi was kidnapped and tortured for three weeks before being stabbed and left to die near railroad tracks south of Paris.
Police initially played down reports that anti-Semitism played a role, but later said that suspects had admitted during questioning that they targeted Halimi because he was Jewish.
Top government officials - including Sarkozy - spoke out on the case, urging a thorough investigation.
The chief suspect in the killing arrived in France on Saturday after being extradited from Ivory Coast, where he fled after the body was discovered.
Youssef Fofana, a Frenchman of Ivorian descent, said he was ready to cooperate with investigators, judicial officials said Sunday.
While in Ivory Coast, Fofana acknowledged in a television interview that he participated in the kidnapping but denied killing him and denied any anti-Semitic motive.
Several of the 19 detained suspects in the case have said Fofana stabbed Halimi, according to judicial officials.
Investigators are also questioning Fofana about other kidnapping attempts in 2005, some involving Jewish victims.
Also Sunday, an anti-racism group, MRAP, condemned the latest synagogue attacks.
"The multiplication of racist acts and incidents, coming from all levels of society and targeting ... Jews, North Africans or Roma, is an extremely worrying sign," the group said in a statement. "MRAP is signaling the alarm so that this racist escalation stops once and for all." |
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