Desecration of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: 3-month suspended sentence and symbolic €1 fine for Hakim, the Moroccan with 28 records... (Update)

Unshaven, dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants of questionable hygiene, Hakim, 47, appears with a pitiful air in the immediate appearance box at the Paris court. "I will answer all the questions that are put to me" (...)

The Parisian

The man who lit his cigarette with the flame from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was found guilty and sentenced by the Paris Criminal Court to a three-month suspended prison sentence, franceinfo learned, who was present at the hearing on Friday, August 8. He was being tried for violating a burial site, tomb, urn, or monument erected in memory of the dead. His probationary period is 18 months, and he is required to seek medical treatment. He was also ordered to pay a symbolic one euro in damages to the National Monuments, which was recognized as a civil party in this case. (…)

When the presiding judge reminded him of what he had done, the man burst into tears, according to franceinfo. “I apologize to all French people, to all soldiers, I know that this is a healthy, clean place that should not be defiled,” he said, claiming to be used to watching memorial ceremonies on television. (…)

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he admitted to having relapsed into his addictions, medication and alcohol, while he has been going through a difficult separation since the beginning of the summer. The former crack user's criminal record contains 28 entries. The Minister of the Interior announced that he would revoke the Moroccan's residence permit. (…)

France Bleu