4 suspects under investigation for planning attacks against Macron
Paris: Four men who had planned to attack French President Emmanuel Macron were placed under formal investigation on Saturday, media reported.
Earlier this week, French security forces arrested six people after they carried out raids in Isere, southeast France, Moselle, on the border with Germany and in the northwestern city of Ille-et-Vilaine.
Two of the suspects were released while four others, aged between 22 and 62 years, were put under formal investigation for “association of criminal terrorists,” Xinhua news agency reported.
All members of the far-right movement, they were accused of undertaking “imprecise and loosely-formed” plan targeting French President.
According to state-run France2 television, the group planned to stab the head of state last Wednesday during his visit to Charleville-Mezieres, east France as part of a his tour to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
On Thursday, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced that 10,000 officers would be deployed to ensure the safety of the memorial ceremony at the weekend.
More than 70 presidents, including US President Donald Trump, Russian head of state Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will join Macron beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris where he will light the flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to celebrate the Armistice Day on November 11.
“But we must be extremely vigilant to face the terrorist risk and that of the radical movement,” Castaner said.