Two Moldovan nationals were arrested in Paris last Friday after admitting to drawing Stars of David on Jewish homes and businesses on the orders of an unknown person from Russiathe Paris prosecutor’s office told POLITICO.

According to French radio station Europe 1 “a person in Russia” gave orders to the 33-year-old man and the 29-year-old woman to carry out these acts.

The two, who have not been publicly identified, were arrested for “property damage” related to “origin, race, nationality or religion”, after an eyewitness reported that they were “drawing a blue star” on a wall, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. The office added that the legal proceedings against the couple were terminated “due to a sanction of another nature”, namely their “deportation” from the country.

The suspects, according to the prosecutor’s office, were in the country without legal permission and were taken to an administrative detention center.

French Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne posted a video on Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, in which she pledged that those accused of anti-Semitism in France will be sentencedsaying: “Nothing justifies hatred and violence.”

“It is our country’s duty to fight this. It is the duty of the republic to protect all the Jews of France”he added.