The Incident

The grave ⁢of Robert Badinter, the former French Justice Minister who spearheaded the abolition of‍ the death penalty and was a prominent figure in⁣ Holocaust remembrance, was defaced with antisemitic graffiti on October 9, 2025, at the Bagneux cemetery in Hauts-de-Seine. The graffiti, discovered by a visitor, read: “Eternal is ​their gratitude, the murderers, the paedos, the rapists, the Republic sanctifies ‌it”, according to Le Monde. Police have launched‌ an investigation.

Who Was Robert Badinter?

Robert Badinter (1928-2024) was a towering figure in French legal and political history. Born in Constantine,Algeria,he became a lawyer and than⁢ served as Minister of Justice under President François Mitterrand from 1981 to 1988. His moast notable achievement was the abolition of the death ⁢penalty in France on October 9,1981,a date now‌ symbolically linked to this act of vandalism. Britannica details his long career ‌and ‌commitment to human rights.

Beyond abolishing the