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10h ago

Man Detained for Lighting Cigarette From Arc de Triomphe Tomb’s Eternal Flame

Authorities have detained the suspect to underscore France’s strict legal protections for its most revered war memorial.

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El marroquí podría enfrentar un año de cárcel, una multa millonaria y la revocación de su permiso de residencia en Francia

Overview

  • The unnamed suspect was arrested on August 5 and placed in judicial custody after footage showed him lighting a cigarette from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’s eternal flame.
  • Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed the man faces charges under article 225-17 of the penal code, which punishes desecration of sepulture with prison time and fines.
  • Patricia Mirallès, minister delegated to Memory and Veterans, demanded exemplary sanctions on social media, calling the act an insult to France’s fallen soldiers and heritage.
  • A tourist filmed the incident on August 4 and the video rapidly circulated online, prompting the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office to launch an expedited investigation.
  • Installed beneath the Arc de Triomphe in 1920, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honors World War I casualties and its ever-burning flame symbolizes national remembrance.