Neo-Nazi Sympathizer Sentenced Amid Olympic Security Concerns

A 19-year-old French neo-Nazi sympathizer was sentenced to two years in prison for making online threats and sharing bomb-making instructions. Authorities detained him for allegedly wanting to target the Olympic torch relay. The Paris public prosecutor confirmed his conviction happened after a swift trial on Friday.

A French alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer was sentenced to two years in prison after making threats online and suspected of wanting to target the Olympic torch relay, authorities confirmed Saturday.

The Paris public prosecutor's office announced that the 19-year-old man was convicted in a swift trial overnight Friday for charges including sharing bomb-making instructions, posts inciting hate, death threats, and disseminating personal information putting people at risk.

Detained on Wednesday in the Alsace region, he managed a group named "French Aryan Division" on Telegram. The public prosecutor's office specified that although his inflammatory comments didn't directly target the Paris Olympics, his detention was linked to the high-security event.

France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated Wednesday that anti-terror police apprehended the man, an alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer intending to disrupt the torch relay. He is flagged by police for ultra-right ideology. Authorities clarified he sought to target political figures or individuals of immigrant backgrounds.

The French capital is preparing for its first Olympic Games in a century with a security operation involving up to 45,000 police and gendarmes and a 10,000-strong military presence patrolling the Paris region.

(With inputs from agencies.)