French interior minister urges 'severe' punishment for racism over murder of Tunisian citizen

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - The French interior minister on Monday called for a "severe" punishment for racism following a recent attack that killed a Tunisian and injured a Turkish citizen.

"Racism must be severely punished. When it leads to such savagery, the criminal response must be uncompromising," Bruno Retailleau said on X.

Describing Saturday's attack as an "unbearable crime," Retailleau confirmed that he had spoken with Tunisia's ambassador to express his "compassion" to the victim's loved ones and "solidarity" with the Tunisian community in France.

He also reaffirmed that he would speak with his Tunisian counterpart.

The statement came after a 53-year-old French man shot two of his neighbors on Saturday, murdering a Tunisian and injuring a Turkish citizen in the southeastern Var region.

The possibility of a racist motive is currently being examined by investigators, as the man had posted racist and hateful content on social media before the attack, according to the broadcaster BFM TV.

"The investigation will determine whether the racist nature of these acts is confirmed, but videos published by the perpetrator leave no doubt in this regard," Retailleau also confirmed.